Too Much of a Good Thing
by 221B Bakery Street
Summary: Anna is a child. At the age of 18, she has the maturity and life experience of a 12 year old, and she is still struggling to discern the things that most teenagers start dealing with. When Elsa is dying, however, both of them realize that it's time to just let go, and enjoy the little things that matter the most in life. A comfortable mix of drama and romance with a dash of comedy.
1. Beware the Frozen Heart

**Too Much of a Good Thing**

**Summary: Growing up as Anna is not easy. At the age of 18, she has the maturity and life experience of a 12 year old, and she is still struggling to discern the things that most teenagers start dealing with- family, experience, and love. When her sister is dying, though, she starts questioning herself, and all that she has ever known. How does one love? And can one love too much?**

oOoOo

I love the summer. It's that one season where everything around you is perfect; the sound of bird calls, the feel of the grass, the smell of the flowers, the visual perfection, and the taste of sweet fragrance in the air all work together to create the most magnificent of landscapes. Summer in Arendelle, especially, is a beautiful time. The fjords surrounding our kingdom look particularly formidable, and the water shimmers in time to the wind. But, this summer is particularly special, because today is my sister's coronation.

I don't know my sister that well. We hardly ever see each other, although I know that we used to be really close when we were around 5 years old. I used to knock on her door and ask if she wanted to build a snowman, or come and play with me, but I never got much of an answer other than an occasional "Go away, Anna". These visits gradually decreased as I grew older, but I did go to see her when our parents died. Of course, she didn't say anything on the other side.

The great thing about my sister's coronation is that there will be people. Actual, real life people. I haven't seen many of those. My parents kept the palace gates closed for most of my life, only to be opened when some foreign dignitary decided to come to Arendelle. Other than the small staff that my father hired to take care of Elsa (my sister), and I, plus my parents and occasionally, their friends, I haven't actually had much human contact in my life. I read about them, of course, in books, but still, it would be nice to know what they would actually be like.

In books, I read about this thing where people would meet someone of the opposite gender whom they would give their life up for (although, I read this one novel where two guys liked each other; it was the sweetest thing). Each novel described it as an amazing feeling, called "being in love". It sounds absolutely amazing! Having a person who you can depend on wholeheartedly, without any regrets, and spend the rest of your life with them, although I sometimes got a little dubious over the power it holds over some people. The idea of true love, however, the idea of that one person who will make you fall head over heels has gotten me through several rough times in my life.

"Miss? The gates are opening."

An euphoric feeling bubbles up inside of me. It's the sort of feeling you get right before you know you're going to experience the most life-changing thing ever.

"Oh! Yes! Yes! Fina- I mean, I'll be right there." I replied to Kai.

Kai's been working for my family since the beginning of time. I have vague memories of him pushing me on a swing and taking me for walks in the palace gardens- never to go outside, though.

I rush through the gardens to the main gates; the one thing that separated me, and the rest of humanity. The staff pushed the gates open, and slowly, a tiny sliver of the outside world gradually grew bigger and wider, and suddenly, completely exposed as the gates spread wide apart.

There was so much life. Everywhere, from the tiniest ladybug I observed on a leaf to the hundreds of people throbbing like a gigantic, beating heart. The chatter and the noise was like foreign and mystical music to my ears.

For the first time in forever, I feel really, really small. As if I'm really inconsequential; just another human on this land. What am I, compared to these hundreds of people?

I make my way to the markets with a bounce in my steps. I'm getting odd looks from the people milling about; a redheaded girl in a ballgown, dancing on the handles of staircases, but I don't care. I've never felt more alive.

_Boom!_

I crashed right into a horse, which sent me flying back into a small canoe, which was just about to be tipped over before the horse realized it's mistake (smart little thing; how on earth did it know?) and stepped on the other end of the canoe to balance out the weight.

I lay there, dazed. Only a few minutes after I left the palace and my back already hurts from hitting the wood.

"I'm so sorry, are you okay?"

The novels that I read were so beautiful, but sometimes, I doubted their validity. They talked about people who were "put under a spell" as soon as they saw another person, which struck me as odd, given the fact that magic could not be real.

But nothing could describe the sort of feeling I had ride now. The rider of the horse; he was perfect. His large sideburns stuck out, but after a second, I decided that I liked them. The feeling that had come over me- I thought myself ridiculous and stupid, for a fraction of a second at first, but soon this warm, fuzzy feeling overtook me.

It's magic. It has to be.

He introduced himself as Hans, of the Southern Isles. Even his voice was perfect, and while that small voice at the back of my head reminded me that "nobody is perfect", I pushed it away.

"I'm Anna. Princess of Arendelle."

He promptly got on one knee, and that silly but incredibly smart horse of his followed suit, which caused Hans to fall onto me, on one side of the boat.

I have never been so embarrassed, and I don't think he has ever been, too, because as soon as the horse realized his mistake, he stepped on the other side of the boat so hard that Hans fell back, and I crashed on top of him.

"This is awkward, I mean, not that you're awkward, it's just that I-I'm awkward, wait, what?"

I'm so, so gawky. All those years spent inside the castle with nobody to actually talk to except for the pictures on the walls is really starting to catch up. It was decided. I don't know how to act in front of strangers.

He laughs as if he sees ungainly and clumsy people like me all the time, but I doubt it. He probably thinks I'm this weird redhead who just says whatever she thinks- which is true, but I don't want people to think that about me. Especially not people like Hans.

We stare at each other for a little bit, a million thoughts racing through my head. I feel so, so happy. Ecstatically happy.

_Ding...dong...ding...dong…_

I'm usually an observant girl. I smell everything (especially chocolate), hear everything, and see everything. But the sound of these bells that signified the coronation ceremony didn't fully register in my mind until a few seconds after.

"Oh no. The bells. I better go." I try walking backwards, but I hit a pole.

"Uh, I gotta go. I better go." I turn around and wave, before running off to the church, his face still vividly imprinted in my mind.

oOoOo

The whole ceremony was short. When I walked up the alleyway with my sister, I tried to catch her eye, but she seemed to be determined to look forward, to her brilliant future, and determined to keep her gaze off of me, her lonely past.

oOoOo

Elsa was a child.

She was 21, and still a child.

And now, at the turning point of her life as she walks up the alleyway towards her destiny beside the sister she so desperately wants to connect to, all she can think about is what will happen when she takes her gloves off.

"The gloves will help," her father had said.

That may be, she concluded as she bowed forward for the bishop to place the crown on her head. But it will never help me inside.

Even to herself, the thoughts sound so cliché, so overused, but she truly felt alone. She was a monster; capable of killing and hurting people.

"Your majesty, the gloves." The bishop reminded quietly.

Elsa was so, so scared.

This was possibly the defining moment of her life. In this moment, she can either freeze the entire church, or be accepted as Queen. Tentatively, she pulled off the gloves, a symbol of protection and secrecy for her, off.

And she waited.

She waited for the whole thing to be over.

oOoOo

The party has just started, but I'm a bit late. I run into the room, just as Kai is introducing my sister and I. Surprisingly, he picks me up and sets me down right next to my sister.

Suddenly, the temperature rose a bit. Just for me, though, I guess. My sister is so perfect, she probably never even blushed before.

"Hi."

My observant nature seemed to just have slipped out of the window today. I took a few seconds to realize that my sister, was talking to me.

"Hi..hi me? I mean, uh, hi!" There was a good silence after I replied.

"You look beautiful." Elsa commented.

"Oh! Thank you! You look beautifuller, not _fuller_, you don't look fuller, but more...beautiful." I reply almost too quickly. It's as if I'm desperate for her to keep on talking to me, which, I admit, I am. This is possibly the longest conversation we have sustained in, what, ten years?

"So, this is what a party looks like." Elsa said.

"It's warmer than I thought." I blurted out, before realizing how awkward that must sound. _It's warmer than I thought._ Who says that? Why am I so bad at controlling my mouth?

Elsa, however, being that perfect sister she was, ignored my very awkward reply. "And what's that amazing smell?"

We both took in a big breath of scents; there was the smell of strawberries, expensive perfume, and…

"Chocolate!" We both exclaim, before lapsing off into giggles. After that bout finished, though, we were left once again with looking awkwardly at each other.

We parted ways after that. There were simply too many people asking for my sister's hand in dance, but she politely declined them all.

Even though I would never admit this to anyone, I would glance over at my sister from time to time, just to see how she was doing. She was currently deep in conversation with some foreign prince, and I couldn't help but feel a bit jealous. She probably said more that one guy in five minutes more than she ever said to me in my whole life, and I'm her sister!

Sending glares to the guy's back, I turn around and bump right into Hans.

"Now, who are you trying to kill today?" He joked, and I almost wanted to laugh because he was the one who told it, but to be honest, it really wasn't funny.

"You?" I half asked that reply, but he seemed to find it funny anyways. Secretly pleased with myself, I take his hand and take him for a tour of the castle.

We talked for the entire evening. I found out that he had 12 older brothers who constantly made fun of him; two even pretended he was invisible for 2 years, which, admittedly, sounds a bit like my situation with Elsa.

I still hold on to my original opinion of Hans; he was, and still is perfect. We went sock-sliding in the halls, and even went onto the roof of the castle, and watched a meteor shower. I've never met someone who thinks so much like me. Ever.

"Will you marry me?"

My brain froze, and every part of my body stopped working except for my mouth.

"Yes."

oOoOo

Elsa was very, very bored. Part of her just wanted to send all the guests away; especially that obnoxious prince who wouldn't stop talking about how wealthy and industrious his own kingdom was.

Occasionally, she glanced around the room for Anna, but she couldn't find her, and she couldn't help but feel worried. Not that she had a right to. She doesn't have any right to be nice to Anna, or worry for her. Nothing that a normal sister has the right to do for their younger siblings.

"Elsa! I mean, Queen." Anna called from behind her.

Elsa turned around. Her sister was holding hands with a man with red hair, and obnoxiously large sideburns which, in Elsa's opinion, took away from his overall visage.

"We would like-"

"Your hand-"

"Your blessing-"

They stumbled around like this for a while, leaving Elsa more and more confused to what in the world Anna wanted that would cause her to dance from one word to another without even finishing the first.

"In marriage!" The finally finished that ridiculously long sentence.

_In marriage?_

"Wait, what?" She blurted out, but to no avail. The "couple" were already talking about some 12 brothers and ice cream.

"Stop! No brothers are staying here, and no one is getting married." Elsa tried hard not to scream in frustration.

Elsa always had a hard time connecting to people- especially people in love. She, herself, never understood the concept. People falling heads over heels for each other? Such things just didn't exist, and the stupid things that people did while they were in love only discouraged her from believing that such a feeling existed. There's just too much risk to "loving" someone so much that you would even tell them their deepest secrets. What if they betrayed you?

No, Elsa liked real things. She read about geography, science, and politics. Books that her father wanted her to read. Books that wouldn't remind her of how inhuman and abnormal she was.

"Wait, what?" Anna's hurt voice was like an arrow, and it just pierced a balloon filled with tension, which settled over the two sisters.

"You can't marry a man you just met." Elsa said matter-of-factly.

"You can if it's true love." Anna replied stubbornly, still clinging onto that ridiculously-large sideburned guy.

There it was. That word again. "Love". But this time, with the word "true" added in front to it. What's the difference to between "love" and "true love"? Does that imply that love is fake?

"Anna, what do you know of true love?" Elsa replied, exasperated.

"More than you!" She shot back, narrowing her eyes. "All you know how to do is shut people out!".

There it was. Anna fired another arrow, and instead of hitting a tension balloon, it hit Elsa's heart. Everything that she had ever worked for; everything she had ever done in her life suddenly collapsed.

Her first thought was to deny it.

After every lie you tell yourself, there is always that point where you realize that you have been fooling yourself all along, and that you wasted your time trying to do one thing that obviously had no effect.

Elsa just reached this point.

She had spent her entire life shutting her sister out. To protect her, she added stubbornly, but shutting her out nevertheless. And what for? Her own sister hates her. Hell, she even hates herself. Everybody probably thinks she's a sociopath who can't handle human contact- hardly fit qualities for a Queen.

The ice that circulated her veins moved faster and faster. Originally, the ice formed on the outermost veins, but as it moved out of control, they began freezing closer and closer, to the heart.

Her brain in overdrive as the consequences 16 years of actions crashed down upon her. Her body was freezing up.

And then it all stopped.

It only takes one swipe to kill a man.

It only takes one touch to freeze a heart.

**A.N. You might be wondering why I wrote Elsa in 3rd person, and Anna in 1st person. I actually plan on changing Elsa from 3rd to 1st, as a sort of symbolic way of showing that she has melted her fears, and we get to see who she really is. I'm really, really dissatisfied with this right now. Please review, and give some constructive feedback! Authors don't like when they say reviews keep them going. By the way, the lines taken from the movie are not supposed to be verbatim (word for word). If they are, great! If they aren't, well, that's not the point. :P**


	2. Elephants and Giraffes

**Too Much of a Good Thing**

**Note: This is a much more serious, deeper, and darker way of dealing with the characters of Frozen. I'm basically taking the characters of Frozen and taking the Disney influence out of them. In this chapter, you might think that Anna is out of character, but I would just like to assure you that love does not come to everyone like that. I will clarify in the chapter. **

oOoOo

I killed my sister.

The guilt tasted bitter in my mouth. I am standing outside her door, waiting for the doctor to let me in, much to my annoyance. She is _my_ sister, after all. I have a right to see her.

_Even if I did kill her_.

Nothing ever good happens to me. After meeting a wonderful guy like Hans, I knew it was only a matter of time before the Universe caught on to the fact that I was actually happy and punished me for it.

I guess this time, the Universe was watching me the whole time.

It's my fault, I decided. I was the one who pushed her. The words that I had said stung me when I repeated them afterwards. If it hurt me that much, I wonder how much it hurt Elsa.

When I was five, I remember first seeing Elsa close the door on me. When I looked at her through the narrowing slit between the door and the wall, she looked at me with remorse, loneliness, and fear in her eyes. I kept on trying to knock on her door, and for a month, it was just customary to walk up to her and ask if she wanted to build a snowman.

"_Why is she ignoring me?" I asked tearfully to my mom._

"_Because she loves you, Honey."_

I still don't understand that particular piece of logic.

I'm still trying to decide whether or not this is the best, or worst day of my life. I met Hans- plus 1 point for best day. The gates opened- plus 1 point for best day. I got engaged- plus 1 point for best day. He's amazing- plus 1 point for best day.

But, my sister collapsed, and it was partly my fault. Plus 1 point for the worst day. I'm having a psychological war with myself- plus 1 point for worst day. Hans was forced to leave the Arendelle, along with all the guests- plus 1 for worst day.

"Princess?" A voice jerks me out of my thoughts. "It's the Queen; she's awake."

As I entered my sister's room, it was then when I realized that I had never actually been in Elsa's room. She moved out of our shared room a long time ago, and she never opened the door to me. The first thought that struck me was that it was very blue. There was a notable difference in room temperature, and was actually quite small, considering the fact that Elsa spent ninety percent of her life in here, doing God knows what.

I let my eyes drift over the room before looking at Elsa. Perhaps that was my own, wretched way of dealing with guilt. Perhaps it was a way to delay my fears, but I'm cowardly like that. I have always been, and always will be, a coward.

She looked weak. Her already pale skin had a ghostly-tinge to it, and her breathing was shallow and labored. She acknowledged my presence with the slightest tilt of her head, just so I could come within the peripherals of her vision.

"Hi."

That's the second time in my life she's instigated a conversation with me. Perhaps I should feel honored, really, that the Queen has finally decided to acknowledge me as a human being.

"Hey." My reply was mechanic, and definitely not the reply a normal sister would give to an older sister she nearly killed. Not that we were ever normal siblings, anyways.

There was a long silence after that. For almost ten minutes, we just stared at each other, enjoying the not-so-blissful silence that permeated the air around us. I appreciated it. I've learned more about my sister in those ten minutes than I ever did in my 18 years of life. I noticed the way she would look down at her gloved hands every so often, almost with caution. I noticed the fact that she would try to take a deep breath every few seconds, but being physically unable to do so, she would sigh, almost in annoyance. Then, she would glance down at her hands once again, as if some sort of powerful secret were embedded in her flesh, and she would do anything she could to prevent anyone from finding it out.

"Does it hurt?" I asked out loud, blurting out my thoughts.

Elsa seemed to think, long and had about the answer, which I didn't quite understand. It either didn't hurt, or did hurt. What was there to think about?

"I'm just cold." She says finally with a strained voice, and we fell silent again.

"That's not really answering the question." I replied after a while. I couldn't bear to look at her, so instead, I decided to look at out the window. The sun was setting, shading the entire sky in different tints, tones, and shades of red, orange, and yellow.

"When does anything answer the question?"

I have to admit that I do not have an answer for that.

oOoOo

Either my social skills were sorely lacking, or Elsa and I were two random strangers forced together at birth, and I strongly suspect the latter. While I was with her, our conversation was choppy at best. We talked about really, really random things. Favorite colors, favorite books, and favorite music. Her answers were all completely different from mine. Over time, though, we began to talk more about..._us_. As in, us, as siblings. "Us" never existed before. It was always "Elsa" and "Anna". Never together. I always suspected that Elsa was hiding some sort of big secret. It was just something that I always dreamed of being one of the reasons on why she started ignoring me.

I remember a time when I was really, really little. I know I was really, really little because this memory had Elsa actually talking to me, as a sister. We were eating cookies shaped in all sorts of exotic animals.

"Mommy!" I cried, holding up a cookie that had a long trunk and a big body with four legs. "What's this?"

"That's an elephant, dear," My mother replied, smiling.

"What does it say?" I asked, taking a bite out of the trunk.

"Toot!" Elsa cried, holding up her own elephant cookie before devouring it in one bite.

I laughed, and picked up another cookie. This one had an outrageously long neck; and a small head at the top. "What's this, Mommy?" I asked again, holding it up right in front of her face.

My mom looked at it for a second before replying. "That's a giraffe, honey."

"That's a funny name," I giggled. "What does it say? Geeeeeeee? Geeeeeee?"

Elsa picked up the same cookie and stared at it, long, and hard. Nobody answered my question.

"Mommy? What does the giraffe say?" I asked again, this time seriously.

"Nothing, sweetie," She answered, pinching my cheek.

"What!" I yelled indignantly. "Why not?" I cried out loud.

"Because that's how they're was born," My mother replied simply, and then I noticed that my sister had left the room.

oOoOo

I must have fell asleep some time after that, because I remember being shaken awake by the Doctor while still sleeping in Elsa's chair beside her bed.

"Princess, is it alright if we talk outside?" He whispered, gesturing towards my sleeping sister.

I nodded silently, and hopped off the chair. Glancing back at my sister, I closed the door behind me.

"Do you love your sister?"

I opened my mouth to say "of course", but quickly closed it.

Do I love my sister?

"Yes" would be what a normal sister would say, and much as I feel that I do love her, part of me doesn't actually have a connection to her. I love the idea of my sister. I love the idea of her, and the idea of what she and I would do as sisters. My idea of a sister would talk to me about boys (like Hans), we would fight over clothes, and we would be best friends. The real Elsa, and the idealistic Elsa, however, could not be more different.

So, no, I don't love Elsa. I love _my sister_.

There was a very clear distinction in my mind.

"I don't know her very well." I replied truthfully, and my heart swelled shut.

The Doctor looked at me with pained eyes, filled with pity. "That's not really answering the question", he says, and I fall silent, Elsa's voice replaying in my head.

_When does anything answer the question?_

oOoOo

I don't think the Doctor liked me very much. After unsuccessfully trying to get me to talk about my sister's past medical condition, which _I honestly did not know_ (although he didn't believe me when I tried to tell him that), he brought me to the library and lectured me on the importance of observation.

"It is important to observe the welfare of others!" He repeated. "Like your sister, why do you know _nothing_ about her?"

Something inside me snapped. But if it wasn't my fault, whose fault was it?

"Look, I've been having a _really_ long day. I got engaged, my sister got mad, because, you know, we just met, and your lecturing isn't doing anything. Can you now _please_ stop beating around the bush, and just tell me what's wrong with her, already? Why is she so pale? And cold? Why is her _room_ cold?" I started, heat rising to my face. "Is it my fault? Should I not have asked for a blessing? But we need her blessing! She's the queen, and my sister for Heaven's sakes! I can't ju-"

"Your sister needs a new heart."

"-st STOP T-" I stopped. "Excuse me?"

"Your sister needs a new heart," the Doctor repeated, articulating every syllable.

I laugh. It's the sort of laugh that you can't control- not because the situation was really funny, it just seemed like the only appropriate thing that I could do without seeming fake, or corny.

"That's really funny. Seriously, Doc, what's wrong with her?"

"I said the same sentence two times already, and I don't want to say it again," he answered, folding his arms across the test.

"One does not simply _need a new heart_. Does that mean her heart isn't functioning? Then how is she alive?" I challenged. I felt brave, and reckless, but I was just making excuses. Elsa can't _possibly_ need a heart. But then again, a real sister can't _possibly_ shut her own sibling out, true love _can't possibly_ be real, and I _can't possibly_ not love Elsa. Yet, here we are, every single one of those laws of the Universe are being broken one by one, in none other than in my life.

"I'm not quite sure of the phenomenon. I took her pulse yesterday, and not only was she frighteningly cold-" the Doctor paused, and shivered. I don't know if he did it for effect, or if he was actually cold, but it certainly did it's job.

"-and her pulse was extremely weak. So I decided to put her in an X-Ray-" I opened my mouth to object, but he continued on.

"-It's a new invention, and perfectly safe, mind you. It makes it possible to look _inside_ the human body. And her heart- it wasn't beating at all! Perfectly stationary! Yet, the pulse was there, and she's still alive, so the question is also, what's beating her heart?" The Doctor finished with a crazed look in his eye. His toothbrush mustache bristled with excitement.

I, however, was not convinced. "So, you think that chopping out her heart and putting a new one in is going to get it going again? How does that even work?"

"Well," He started, "If she doesn't get a new heart, she's going to die soon."

I nod.

"But it can't just be any heart. The will have to be a heart from a family member."

And then I remembered my parents are dead.


	3. A New Journey

**Too Much of a Good Thing**

oOoOo

"You may _not_ tell Elsa of anything we just discussed," I warned as we walked up the stairs.

"Au contraire, Princess, it is her body, I shall tell her," The Doctor replied smugly.

I gritted my teeth. I can handle this myself, without some arrogant and pompous Doctor to help me. "No, you may not. You, uh, are forbidden to enter her room, and you...may not enter the Castle without my permission."

The Doctor glared and me, and I glared right back. He wasn't going to do anything. This was a family matter. Matters of hearts that he has no access to.

"Don't you think it's weird, though?" The Doctor interrupted.

"What's weird?" I asked out loud.

"Normal sisters don't ignore their siblings for most of their lives."

oOoOo

I pushed open the door to her room, and the icy coldness of the room was even more noticeable than before. Elsa was still asleep, if that's what you could call it. Everything about this room was abnormal, from the icy temperature to my sister, who could actually sleep in a room so cold. Deciding that some warm air would be good for this room, and Elsa, I opened the window and let the sunlight stream in.

I can't really remember the first time I played with snow. I know I played with Elsa, and had fun, but I had no idea what we did. Which is funny, because that's the same for every other time I had ever played with Elsa, in the snow. I know we did it; I remember having so much fun, and admiration for my sister, but I have no idea what we did.

_Perhaps she was really, really good at building a snowman._

The warm sunlight reminded me of Hans. He did say he was from the Southern Isles, and just from the name, I already envisioned a tropical string of islands that had warm beaches and blue skies all year round.

Speaking of Hans, what's going to happen to the marriage? Are we going to get married at all? He did propose to me, but I don't see a ring either. I first learned about marriage from my Mom. She told me that it was when two people who loved each other very much decide to spend the rest of their life together. That was the simply description when I was 4. But now, I'm 18, and I've read plenty of books where marriages don't work out; either the husband was lying and marrying for money, or the woman leaves with the firstborn child. Either way, I've learned now that there is fake True Love.

So hypothetically speaking, how does one get true True Love?

"Anna? What are you doing here?" Elsa's voice asked, muffled.

"Elsa! You're awake, I mean, that's obvious, of course you know you're awake, I meant, like, you're..are you feeling fine?" I stumbled around as the words flowed across my head. Can I just say that my mouth isn't fast enough to process my brain?

I swear I saw the corners of Elsa's mouth move up, but when I blinked and looked again, her mouth was a straight line again. Figures. I'm hallucinating now.

"I'm fine, thank you," She replied politely.

I stare at her for a long, long time. She's dying.

Somehow, my mind can't wrap itself around those words.

What did death mean to her? If I told her she was dying, I doubt she'll cry in fear of the unknown.

Seriously, what will she do?

I look at her eyes, and I see fear. I look at her hands, and I see secrecy. I look at her hair, and I see forced perfection.

What do I see when I look at her heart?

The Doctor had said her heart was frozen; a medical anomaly. She needs a new heart; and the safest heart to give her was mine.

_So whose heart do I get?_

After I few minutes, I realize that I'm still staring at Elsa, and she was staring back, with arched eyebrows. "OH! I'm so sorry, I was just, you know, wondering if your heart, was...cold?" I stuttered profusely.

"Sorry, what?" Elsa asked in confusion.

"Yeah, that's what I thought, because, you know, I was wondering, can hearts be cold? And then I thought, you know, why not? I mean, they're living too, so I was just...asking…" I said, and if last time I was hallucinating, this time, I definitely wasn't. Elsa smiled.

oOoOo

Elsa was so cold.

It's amazing, really. Because the cold never bothered her before, but now, as she stared at Anna, who seemed to be the epitome of warmness and optimism, she felt dismal in comparison.

Anna began to stutter around, bouncing from one sentence to another, and Elsa felt her spirits being lifted. But she was still, oh, so cold.

"Anna, is it alright if you can ask Gerda to fetch me a blanket?" Elsa asked weakly.

"What? Oh! Of course. Hang on. Be right back." Anna hopped off the side of her bed and strolled out the door.

Elsa turned around and hugged the blankets around her, with one thought on her mind.

_Was she dying?_

oOoOo

I was in shock.

I realized this while talking to Elsa. I felt so, so, good, being able to make her smile. In my mind, Elsa was one step on higher on becoming the sister I love so much. The sister that I would do anything for.

But would I give up my heart for that sister?

And that's when it all came crashing down. There's no point in making Elsa like me, I realized, as I slid down the staircase. She's going to die if I don't give her my heart, and I'm going to die if I do give her my heart. Either way, we're both going to die.

Such is the world.

A few days after the first time Elsa shut me out, I went crying to my Dad, who hugged me and comforted me.

"Daddy," I sobbed, clutching his chest. "What did I do? Why's Elsa not talking to me?"

My mom had said "Because she loves you, Honey," which closed the conversation, and still left me confused, but my Dad just told me she was busy.

I didn't buy it. "Why's she busy, Daddy? She wasn't so busy three days ago!" I screamed.

"Anna! Your sister is going to be Queen someday, and she needs to start studying!" My dad scolded, and I cried even more.

So I sat there, in his lap, sobbing, while he attempted to do paperwork.

"Do you think, when we're old, Daddy, Elsa will stop being busy?" I asked timidly.

"Of course," He replied softly. "And then you can spend the rest of your life together, in happiness, and after life goes, you can spend the rest of eternity as sisters."

"What happens when life goes?" I asked.

"A new journey begins," He answered, and went back to reading his financial report.

oOoOo

After I fetched a blanket for Elsa, I decided, well, I forced her to get out of bed and go outside for a walk, and enjoy the sunshine; something that she vehemently disagreed to do.

"I don't care," I said stubbornly, crossing my arms. "You're coming."

"No, I am _not_," Elsa grunted. "Go away."

I refused to let that get to me. In fact, that even _brightened_ up my day. I read in books that real sisters argued all the time, which made me slightly excited at the fact that Elsa could really become family, and not just biologically.

"Haha nice try," I snorted. A coy smile danced on my face. "Besides, you wouldn't want to ignore your poor sister even more, would you?"

She sort of fell silent after that, and didn't even complain when I made her wear her crown. She was really, really distant. But it wasn't the sort of distance you would get from someone who wanted to avoid you. It was the sort of distance you get from a scared little girl you meet on the streets, separated from her parents.

My own answer to the Doctor's question, "Do you love your sister?" rolled around in my mind. Part of me blames her; blames her for my loneliness, blames her for ignoring me, and blames her for being so perfect and poised and...Queen-like.

We're as different as day, and night, and even though it will never be, I still content myself with fantasies of what any day would be like with Elsa as my _real_, loving sister; things I planned on doing the next few days.

We would eat chocolate. Eat lots, and lots, and lots of chocolate.

We will go to the Southern Isles for a vacation.

We will talk about my engagement after the visit, when she can no longer complain I just met him.

And we will finally build a snowman. That will have to wait until winter, though.

And I try not to think about...our predicament. We're going to have a blast. That's all that matters!

"Elsa," I started, as I forcibly lead her out of the door with a determined smile on my face, "we are going to be sisters."

oOoOo

_Sisters?_

Oh, believe me, Anna, I want to be sisters. But can't you see that I'm dangerous? That I'm a curse, bad omen, and if you don't believe me, I will bet you all the money in the world that I will be the cause of your death.

I really, really want to stop right there. Stop in the middle of that holiday, and say a loud, clear, firm "no".

But I can't.

I just can't.

Why? For a variety of reasons. That determined look on Anna's face (did she really want to get to know me that much?), my own treacherous heart for wanting to be closer with my beloved sister, and we just so happened to coincidentally pass a painting of my parents, who wanted nothing more for me to control my powers so I could continue being a sister who didn't ignore her and role model to Anna.

"Come on Elsa," Anna taunted as we reached the staircase. "You know you want to slide down that handle...look at it, all shiny, glossy, slippery…"

I really didn't want to go. For some reason, I've been feeling really...weird since the coronation. I feel really cold. Really vulnerable. And really...still. When I lie still in my bed, I can't feel or hear my heart beat.

I think I'm getting old.

Which is funny, really, because my mom and dad always exaggerated being old when I was a kid, but I gradually figured out that it was for comical purposes. Maybe it wasn't.

I shrug it off. Death didn't scare me as much as it scared other people. Maybe it's because I don't have much to lose when I do...leave.

But, now I have a conflict with myself. If I am dying, shouldn't I get to know Anna, the only family member left, not to mention she's my sister? But if I get close to her, I might hurt her again, and we will _both_ die.

"I think I'll just walk, Anna," I said quickly, and tried to ignore the rejected look on her face.

oOoOo

I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle. My mouth talks on it's own; and my brain fully supports it. My conscience, however, is telling me to keep quiet and let Elsa be.

_Be what?_

Be the terrible sister that ignored me for most of my life?

Or the dying young Queen?

"_Elsa, we are going to be sisters."_

That wasn't so much of a promise to her; that was a promise to me. I, Anna, will become Elsa's sister.

"Y'know, Elsa," I started, as we walked into the courtyard, "Maybe now that you're Queen, the gates can, well, you know, open?" I asked hopefully.

"Open?" Elsa repeated incredulously. "What for?"

"Uh, to..go outside?" I asked lamely.

Elsa gave me a cleverly hidden look of exasperation and walked up to the gates. "I'll think about it," she promised.

oOoOo

I want these gates to be closed. They've always been like that. It's the thing that kept me going. The thing that reminded me that everything that happened in the castle, stayed in the castle.

But things have changed now. I'm the Queen. With duties. I can't just stay in there, holed and locked up.

Which brings me another problem; what of my power?

Ice hasn't come to me as easily now as it did before the...party.

"Anna," I started, my voice measured and steady, "What happened to me after I passed out at the party?"

Her expression horrified me.

oOoOo

"_Only for today."_

The summer breeze tickled at my clothes; and as lights poured through the gates, bathing the castle in a warm, golden glow, I felt like I was being injected with liquid happiness.

I actually can't believe Elsa would listen to my crazy demand. It must have been my face. I will remember to use that same expression another time.

Although there wasn't as much people today as there was the other day, it was still so new to me _and_ Elsa.

"Isn't it great?" I squealed as I skipped along the handle of the bridge. Heights never bothered me. It's something that I just loved, and my love for it grew when I hit that epiphanic moment in childhood where I realize just how large this world is and how inconsequential I am. Looking down at just a small piece of land from far away lets me slip into a small illusion of grandeur and largeness.

I guess the same idea didn't apply for Elsa, because I saw fear slip across her face. "Anna, get down from there," She ordered, pursing her lips and crossing her arms.

"Come on, Elsa, we only have one day. Are you going to spend that one day acting _exactly_ the way you do in the castle, or are you going to use it to run through the grassy meadows and feeling the blood rush through your veins?"

I realized my mistake too late, as I only then just remembered Elsa's little...problem. But she doesn't need to know that.

If there's something I really hate, it's conscience. It's that insane devil that can drive humans to the brink of destruction. It's that wicked monster that can make the proudest of men shameful. Conscience never bothered me much anymore; after all, in the palace, there wasn't much that could be regretted for. There wasn't anybody to offend or events to mess up.

But things have changed. I still blame myself for Elsa's predicament. Her heart stopped, and she's still living, and I don't know how, but I'm going to find out.

Now, that little bugger called Conscience is infecting my mind; criticizing and insulting me: not telling Elsa of her illness, for doing whatever I did that made her stop talking to me, and most of all, not being someone she can rely on.

I guess my little speech worked, because Elsa smiled, like, a true smile, and then she laughed.

_A true laugh_.

"You're right," She admitted, "But are you going to stay there staring into the fjord, or are you going to come with me to the marketplace? I'm afraid I'm craving a bit of chocolate…"

oOoOo

To be honest, I have no idea what I'm doing; getting close to Anna? Stupid! But I can't help it. I'm human too; and humans are greedy, selfish, and immoral creatures. And right now, I really, really, really want to have fun in town with my sister.

Can I even call her that? Can I call Anna "my sister"? We have zero shared memories due to Grand Pappie saving my sister's life. I don't even know what she likes! I don't know if she likes reading, if she prefers Math or Science, or even who her friends are.

When Anna was just born, I remember my Mom and Dad took us to see a fortuneteller. It was a terrible waste of time, I guess, because all she told us was that Anna was going to be one of the most remarkable people we will all ever meet.

I mean, we already knew that.

When Anna was born, she cried just take her first breath, but calmed down almost immediately, and smiled.

And so, for a moment, I let my humanity take over, and I laughed.

oOoOo

The first thought that I had was that there was so much _life_. It reminds me of music. Everybody is clicking together, and even though they may have different beats, they all work together to create a beautiful masterpiece. The babble never stopped; and it pulsed like a giant heart.

What struck me the most was how warm it is. The sun seemed to soak in and warm your entire body; almost like a blanket of heat, forever protecting you.

"Queen Elsa!"

"My Lady!"

"Princess Anna!"

Shouts echoed around the town square, and everybody stopped to look at us, and it saddened me to think that even though everything works together, the melodies will always be more noticeable than the harmonies; after all if everything was equal, it would just be indiscernible noise.

"_Daddy_", _I asked, "Why am I a princess?"_

"_Because you were born as one, Honey," He answered warmly, as he hoisted me up into the air._

"_Yeah, but why me? Why not that girl over there?" I asked curiously, pointing to a girl in the courtyard who was currently eating an apple._

"_Because you were born as a princess and she wasn't." My Dad answered matter-of-factly._

"_That's not fair!" I complained, scrunching up my nose. "I think everybody should be a princess. What do you think, Daddy?" I asked._

"_Oh, Honey, life's never going to be fair. Better learn this lesson earlier than later."_

"Ooh! Look at the people, Elsa!" Anna squealed. "Isn't it wonderful?"

"It's quite marvelous," I agreed, smiling at her.

She smiled back.

A cry interrupted all the life though. I looked around, startled. There was a boy, who was standing in the house behind me. He looks around 5 years old, and was possibly having the worst time of his life.

And then I noticed the two men carrying a small metal box.

A coffin.

Judging by the size, it was a child who died.

"Oh no," Anna gasped beside me. She ran to the boy, while I stayed firmly glued in my spot; my brain suddenly went haywire.

What do I do? Do I go to comfort the boy? I have no idea how to do that. Do I keep on walking? I'll seem heartless.

Shaking, I walk towards the boy. Anna seemed to have the whole thing covered; hugging him and comforting him while he cried on her shoulder.

oOoOo

Albert.

That was the boy's name. His parents died a year ago. And his sister died this morning.

And there it is again. Conscience. I regret all my past mental complaints about my childhood. Elsa may be a wood block emotion-wise, but at least she's alive. And besides, wood can be carved.

This boy has nobody.

I don't know why I went and comforted him. Maybe it was because of the tiny coffin that broke my heart, or the way he knelt on the doorstep, crying as if there was no tomorrow.

Or, maybe because I saw a tiny bit of myself in him.

I'm a marshmallow. I'm soft and fluffy both on the outside and on the inside, and if you put me over a fire, I melt down.

Elsa's my fire. The concept of family loss and death just breaks me down. Albert was just like me: alone, and without an ounce of freedom.

"You know," I said, as I squeezed his shoulder, "we're alike, you and I."

I was vaguely aware of Elsa's half-hearted steps towards Albert and me, but chose to ignore them.

Albert was completely out of it, though. He rocked back and forth in my arms, unable to make much noise, let alone speak. His tear ducts were dried up, and his body racked with dry sobs.

"Some people who meant a lot to me left too," I continued quietly, "but sometimes, you know, when I look in the night sky, I can see the shapes of their heads, faintly outlined by the stars, but when I blink, they're gone, and even though it only lasts for a second, I felt really good, you know, about being cared."

He stopped moving so much, and still sniffled occasionally, but he lifted his head for the first time and looked at me with blue eyes. "Stars are just balls of fire," He murmured, his voice muffled.

"Fire is life," I exclaimed, lifting him up. "Do you see the sun over there, Albert? That's a giant ball of fire, and without it, we would freeze to death. Fire, Albert, is warmth; the opposite of ice."

Elsa stiffened beside me.

"Anna, I think it's best if w-" She started, glancing around uncomfortably.

"You go on without me," I assured her, silencing her with a glare and tilting my head towards Albert. "I'll catch up."

"No, no, I'll stay," Elsa said quickly.

Albert seemed to calm down a bit, and the crowd gradually dispersed around us, and everybody fell back into habit, shopping, dusting the windows, and talking.

"Did you see them often?" He asked quietly.

"Always," I reply.

oOoOo

_Fire, Albert, is warmth; the opposite of ice._

I stiffened, suddenly. Does she know my secret? The one I worked so hard and sacrificed my entire life to keep?

And what was with that whole speech about stars outlining profiles of our dead parents? Was she saying that to comfort Albert, or get to me? I strongly suspect the latter.

I know it seems useless, petty, and stupid, but I can't help but feel a little bit jealous of Albert. Anna's eyes seemed to be filled with love, compassion when she looks at him, and every time she looks at me, her eyes are filled with pity, respect, and confusion.

But, of course it's my fault. It's all my fault that I'm jealous right now, it's my fault that I'm so awkward with human interaction, and it's my fault that my sister doesn't even look to me as a sister.

"Elsa, come on! We're going to the dock!" Anna exclaimed gleefully as she hoisted Albert onto her shoulder, shaking me out of my thoughts. "Albert says he wants to show me something!"

oOoOo

Albert was by far the sweetest person I have ever met, which doesn't mean much, I guess, since I haven't met many humans (other than Hans) in my life. He was incredibly shy, but his eyes were filled with wisdom beyond his years. He has seen too much, and experienced too much sadness for any seven year old.

"You never showed me your sister," Albert said quietly as we walked down the crowded street, Elsa beside me.

"Oh! Um, Elsa, this is Albert, Albert, this is Elsa!" I fumbled for my words. "Elsa's my sister, but you already know that, you smart boy."

Elsa smiled nervously and reached down to shake Albert's hand, which he tentatively took.

"You're so cold," Albert murmured to the ground.

I froze. So I wasn't the only one who thought Elsa's body temperature was extremely weird. I don't know if that's a good, or bad thing, though. What was it the Doctor said? Her heart stopped?

Hang on.

I haven't thought about it carefully yet. The past few days have been a rollercoaster of emotions for me, and I it's only now that I think about Elsa's problem.

The body needs blood.

And if the heart doesn't work, nothing's pumping the oxygenated blood.

_How exactly is Elsa still alive?_

Albert's soft voice jolted me out of my thoughts. "Like ice."

What?

"When I went to wake up my sister today, she was like ice." He looked up to my eyes. "Like Queen Elsa."

My vision blurred. What was he saying? I turned around to look for Elsa.

She was gone.

oOoOo

Something's wrong with me; I know for sure now. I'm not usually cold to touch, and even though I can't feel it right now, Albert wasn't the first person today to ask why I was so cold.

A million thoughts are swimming through my head as I push through the crowd, trying to run back to the castle. I can hear Anna calling my name a few metres back, but I ignore her.

I knew this would happen; just when my relationship with Anna seems like it can work, something messes up. And by "something", I mean "me". If I am dying of old age, which seems improbable but given my condition, could be possible, than being close to Anna will only hurt her in the end.

I fought back tears as I ran into the courtyard, gasping for breath.

"My Lady! Are you alright?" Gerda asked, rushing forward to help me balance.

My vision is unclear now; the ground was rocking back and forth. "Get me the Doc…"

oOoOo

"Elsa! Come back!" I yelled, squeezing through the large crowd, holding Albert's hand. "Elsa wait up!"

I stopped after a while; Albert was only 7 and there was no way we were going to catch up to her. She was already in the gates, and looked like she wanted no business to do with us.

Back to normal, then, it seems.

"Can we go back to the dock?" Albert asked shyly. "I still want to show you the thing."

My heart melts, and I push Elsa out of my head. "Sure, Al. Let's go check it out."

oOoOo

Albert lead me to an open, grassy meadow. It was far enough from Arendelle to be peaceful, but close enough so that he could make trips here and back without spending too much time walking.

"You know," I said as I lay on the grass, staring up at the blue sky, watching the clouds go by, "It's okay to be sad."

"You don't understand," Albert replied, "Liesl and I were so close. And one day she just…left. I don't even know why. Is it my fault? You know, that Death took her?"

"I do understand," I said quietly. "I completely understand."

Albert looked unconvinced.

I leaned on my arm and faced him on the grass. "That's exactly how it was with Elsa, except, you know, Death didn't…take her?"

I really didn't know of a way to put it mildly.

"Do you believe in love?" Albert asked. "True love?"

"Yes," I admitted, smiling. "You?"

"No," He answered. "Because there's no such thing as fake love."

Albert stayed quiet for a long time, before he spoke again.

"Do you ever just think; why can't I be someone else? Why am I me? Why do I have to suffer?"

"Oh Albert," I cry as I take him in my arms. "Constantly."

And so we sat there, and cried, for the whole world to hear.

oOoOo

"Elsa?"

I've been waiting outside of her study for thirty minutes now, and nobody has answered the door; plus, it was knocked so I couldn't exactly go in. I did hear paper shuffling, though, so I know she's in there.

"Elsa open this door this instant!" I yell, pounding on the door. "I'm not 5 anymore; I'm not going to ask you to build a snowman with me. Just open the door!"

oOoOo

I will not answer. I can't let her in.

_I'm so sorry, Anna._

I haven't made the appointment with the Doctor yet, but I know it's going to be bad. The fainting in the courtyard was enough to prove that, and if I'm going to leave, Anna needs to be read to take care of the kingdom, and not an emotional mess.

"Elsa, open the door!" Anna yelled. "Elsa, just let me be your sister!"

_You don't want to be my sister, Anna_, I thought, as tears streamed down my face. My nails dug into the wood, and my hand was numb.

"Is this how it's going to be?" Anna sobbed. "Me on one side of the door, screaming, crying, and kicking, and then you, on the other side, staying silent?"

I bury my head in my arms, my whole body shaking with sobs.

"Oh, but I forgot, it's always been like that!" Anna continued, her voice cracking. "Do you know how many times I cried over you?"

_She cried over me?_

"Do you know how many times I wanted to _kill_ myself?"

_She wanted to kill herself?_

"I don't even have a single human friend my generation!"

_She doesn't go to school?_

"I buried our parents _alone,_ Elsa!" Anna screamed.

_Anna…_

**Please follow, favorite, and/or review! XD**

**Note: I know Anna's reaction was like, really, really, really late, but I wrote it like that for a reason. She's been through a lot of stuff; experiencing first love, meeting real life people, talking to her sister, and Anna's not exactly the most focused person in the movie. So, yeah, she just actually thought about it.**


	4. Dust and Lies

**Too Much of a Good Thing**

The heart is an organ necessary to life. Without the heart, we cannot live, and while some may be interpreting this statement metaphorically, I am meaning it scientifically.

One simply cannot live without their heart. It cannot be done.

Ever since Elsa shut me out for no reason yesterday, I poured over books, looking at medical diagrams and textbooks on the human body; specifically the heart. Every one of them states that the heart is vital for life, and one cure, heart transplant, is dangerous and has a high mortality rate.

It is best, of course, to accept a replacement from a donor within the family.

In Elsa's case, me.

Elsa simply cannot know about this until I found out what I'm going to do first, which means I have to call for a little talk with the Doctor discussing what to do next.

I did a little digging on the Doctor earlier today. I found out that his name is Frederic, and was recently appointed as our new family Doctor after our old one moved to Denmark a year ago. After looking through some of the castle records, it turns out he had a deceased wife, and left his family, which consisted of a girl and boy. What a guy.

I used to want to be a Doctor when I was little, that is, until my Dad explained to me what exactly a Princess was. Even now, I still think being a Doctor would be a perfect job for me. I could be the person that families would thank from the bottom of their hearts for saving their beloved child. That look in their eyes, the look of relief, gratitude, and most of all, unconditional love, is one that I can never get tired of.

As far as I know, I'm not even sure if I'm willing to give her my heart; her life in exchange for mine. I still have a long list of things I want to do in life; marry Hans, climb the North Mountain, and go sailing in the Mediterranean…

_And adopt Albert_.

I've been thinking about taking Albert in for a quite a while now. I received a letter from Hans yesterday, inviting me and Elsa to the Southern Isles in August, something that I haven't gotten around to replying to yet. Maybe I could bring Albert along. I know Hans will love him.

"Gerda!" I said, opening the door to the library. "Can you get me the family Doctor- Frederic?"

Gerda, who was just coming by with a platter of cookies, nodded. "Of course, dear. He's on the way to see your sister right now. Now, would you like one? They just came out of the oven!"

"No, no, I'm quite alright," I said, rushed, and hurried out of the room. There was no time to waste; I need to get to the Doctor before he gets to Elsa.

Gerda blinked in surprise. "Call me if you want one!"

oOoOo

Love is stupid.

There's no such thing as "true love". Anna should know that. What does she know about true love? Wanting to marry that man, what was his name? Christopher?

It's unreasonable, but I blame Anna for everything. I blame her for falling in love. I blame her for trying to show me the world. I blame her for meeting that boy Albert, saying those things, and most of all, I blame her for trying to change me.

What power does she have to change me? I don't even have the power to change myself, and then she comes along, with her innocence and insolence, singing about true love and sisterhood.

I wish I could tell her. I wish I could just tell her that life isn't all about sunshine and dandelions and the wind rushing through your hair. Life isn't about being happy.

Life is about surviving.

Those who survive, stay, and those who are too weak to endure, die.

But how does one tell their optimistic little sister that life is going to try to punish her, backstab her, and torture her forever?

There's one answer. One doesn't.

I stare at my bookshelf, scanning the books displayed there. They once belonged to my father, and before him, my grandfather. Some of these books are more than hundreds of years old.

I stood up shakily, and took out a book. I have to confirm something.

_The Science of the Heart. _

oOoOo

_Please don't be too late. Please don't be too late. _

It is imperative that I get to the Doctor before he gets to Elsa, because I need to clarify some things with him.

"Princess Anna?"

It was the Doctor. I spun around, grinning. "There you are!" I exclaimed, grabbing his arm and dragging him down the hallway and to the Library.

"Princess, may I ask," Frederic grunted as I pushed him inside the room before I slammed the double doors shut, "What are you doing? I have an appointment with your sister, and, just in case you've forgotten, she's your sister."

"Look, we had a deal," I reminded, "You're not going to tell her anything."

"She's in terrible shape; she has very little time left, I need to find a heart for her, and I must take some tes-"

I crossed my arms. "Oh, so is she some sort of experiment now?"

Frederic raised his arms up. "This sort of thing has never happened before, so I need to take some samples, and study them, you know?"

My blood boiled. "Elsa is not going to be some sort of specimen you can study!" I yelled, slamming my fist on the table. "All you are going to do is go over there, give her some medicine, and leave without saying a _word_.

"What if she asks me if she's healthy or not?" He challenged.

"I know just the thing for you," I replied. I grabbed a piece of paper, and wrote:

_I AM MUTE_.

"Wear that," I suggested. "Oh, and you may not write a word to her either," seeing him open his mouth in objection. "Now, you are going to listen to me…"

"You, my dear Doctor, may not visit Queen Elsa from now on, unless _I_ tell you that you can, and you may only visit her if she is asleep. When taking blood samples, you will analyze them right in front of me. You are not allowed to leave the castle with any tools, specimens, samples, tests- anything. You will be searched when you leave the castle. Any news you have about Queen Elsa will come to me; and me only. You are not allowed to disclose any information on the Queen- end of story. If you accept any bribes for information, I will imprison your briber, and I will fire you-"

"You can't do that," He interrupted, walking over to an armchair and plopping himself down in the seat.

I grinned smugly. "Try me."

He stood up and sauntered over to the window, and stared outside at the sunny sky. "You can't risk firing me. Who knows, I might just…blab about your sister's birth condition."

"She doesn't have a _birth condition_."

Frederic laughed.

He _laughed_.

Like, an evil, booming laugh- the sort of laugh that comes from the stomach and resonates around the room, no matter where you are.

I crossed my arms.

He was still laughing.

I pursed my lips.

He's still laughing. He had to hold onto the bookshelf for support.

I tapped my foot impatiently. "Well, what's so funny?" I demanded.

"You mean…you never even suspected?" He choked. "Oh, this is priceless!"

oOoOo

I hate it when people taunt. It's infuriating, annoying, and most of all, tests my patience, and I already have none.

I'm a pretty strong person. I can lift heavy things, and right now, I'm seriously considering picking up an armchair and throwing it at Frederic.

He walked over to the door, and pulled it open. "I think it's best if you ask your sister," He smiled, and winked.

I hate winks.

And I really hate Frederic.

oOoOo

"Please?'

"No."

I cross my arms. "Well, why not, Max?"

"It's _Marx_, and the Queen said to not open the gates."

"Lookie here, _Marx_, I'm the princess, and I am ordering you to open the gates!" I demanded, standing up tall. "Right now," I added awkwardly. "Please."

"But-"

"Geez, if I knew birth order was such a big deal, I would have switched places with Elsa in the sky or wherever babies come from so I could come first and _ask people to open the gates when I want them to!" _I thought out loud, raising my eyebrow towards Marx. "Hm…I guess it's too late...huh…"

He fumbled around, looking for things to say.

"Hey! Higher being up there! You think you can take me back 21 years and make me first born?"

No reply.

"Thanks! I knew I could count on you." I call out again.

"With all due respect, Princess," Marx squirmed uncomfortably, "Now you're just being ridiculous."

"Oh, really?" I challenge, crossing my arms, "Marx, I am ordering you as the _Princess_ to answer this question honestly: Have you ever worked here as a guard and ever wondered why in the name of Earth the Gates must be closed _all the time?_"

"N-"

"Don't lie to me!" I add, pointing a finger at his face.

"Yes," He changed quickly, looking down at the ground. "I'll open them now."

oOoOo

"Can we go sailing?" Albert asked, clutching my hand as we walked around the pier. "Today's weather is perfect."

"Are you sure you know how to sail?" I ask, swinging around the streetlamp, "because I sure don't."

"My dad gave me a few pointers," Albert beamed, dragging me along, "It's the only thing I have left of him."

"Oh," I stop. "Okay, then."

I have a morbid fear of boats, the sea, and any sort of key player in my parent's death. The sea, especially, intimidates me. But, here's Albert, a little boy who's only recollections of his father lies in tangible memories, and he is willing to reach out to his father, not physically nor spiritually, but mentally.

My own Dad once told me that every single memory is a star in the night sky, and if you really, really thought about someone or something, the star would sparkle.

I had replied by asking what would happen if I really thought about someone during the day, when the stars are gone.

And my dad just said, _"Anna, there are times when you may think that something or someone doesn't exist at times, but they are really there, forever looking over you; forever loving you."_

"Psh, yeah right," I snorted

"Huh?"

"Oh no, I was just, thinking out loud. Let's go sailing, okay, Al?"

oOoOo

"Queen Elsa, I would first like to ask what you are feeling right now. Any headaches, nausea, or pains I should know about?"

I am a Doctor; a man of science. I don't give any thought towards magic, or sorcery, because it's just not scientifically possible. I am probably the only person alive that doesn't believe in a God, or at least, a higher being.

So, when a patient like Queen Elsa comes up, I immediately find myself experiencing the biggest paradigm shift any human has probably ever felt.

"I feel…really cold. A bit lightheaded," The Queen replied, grimacing. "Like I could collapse any minute."

I opened my mouth to say something, but closed it. Princess Anna has warned, no, threatened me not to say anything about Queen Elsa's predicament, and while I don't give a hog monkey's uncle about what the spoiled brat has to say, she could very well be right.

If my speculations about the Queen prove to be accurate, then I could very well be staring at my death bed right now.

"It must be hard," I tested, carefully choosing my words, "to be born with such a burden."

It felt like the entire room was put in a gigantic freezer, because the temperature clearly dropped more than several degrees.

"Wh-what are you talking about?" The Queen stammered, fingering the fabrics of her gloves.

What am I talking about? I'm not sure, exactly, but something is keeping that frail body alive, and it sure isn't her frozen heart.

"You know what I'm talking about, your Highness," I bluff.

The room was below zero now, and the window glasses started to fog up.

The Queen looked like she had taken a punch. She just stood there, looking confused, scared, and…_regretful?_

"Who told you?" She demanded, her voice surprisingly firm. Spoken like a true Queen, it seems.

Bingo. "You did, your Highness."

Confusion.

"Just now," I added.

Betrayal flashed across her face, before the fear settled in again. Ice was starting to form on the walls, creeping across the room like spiders.

"You cannot tell anyone. If I find out anybody knows, then I will have you executed. You may not leave the castle grounds anymore; the gates will be permanently closed, and whatever you do, you may not tell An-"

"I know how to help you," I said, smiling. "Take a vacation."

Confusion, once again.

"I'm sorry, what?" The Queen asked quickly.

"Take a vacation. Now, I see a letter from, ooh, Prince Hans of the Southern Isles!" I scan the letter, reading it, "Inviting both you _and_ your sister for a lovely break from Arendelle! I promise you, your majesty, this is by far the best treatment I can give you right now." I reassure, shoving the letter in her hands. "I will watch you write the reply."

_Tick tock._

oOoOo

We didn't go sailing.

The harbourmaster's wife was sick, so he wasn't there, so his apprentice took his place, so the apprentice's dog came along, so the dog had to wake up early, so the dog was hungry, so the dog went to go find food, so it happens that while we were just going to unload the boat, the dog runs straight through it, basically splitting it in half.

Did I mention the dog was a Great Dane?

"I'm so sorry, Al, I'll buy you a new boat," I repeated for the umpteenth time.

No answer.

"Al?"

No answer.

"Albert?"

"That was my Dad's," He finally said, staring ahead.

"Oh," I breathe, unsure of what to say. "Well, if it makes you feel better, I lost my mother's wedding tiara."

Albert gasped. "You did not!"

I laughed. "Yes, I did! Although, it doesn't matter much, now that she's…"

Albert looked horrified. "Oh, I'm so sorry Princess Anna! I…I wasn't thinking!"

"It's just Anna. And do you want to go to the meadow again?"

"Yes!"

oOoOo

It's out.

My secret is out.

My entire life lies in the hands of this Doctor.

_Don't let them know._

My dad's voice has been playing on a constant loop in my head for the past half hour. I turned around to face his portrait; his face staring right at me; the mustache, and the eyes, all repeating the same lines.

_Conceal it._

"I did," I say out loud.

_Don't feel it_.

"I feel so, so cold, Dad, I don't know what's happening to me," I mumble to the painting.

_Don't let it show._

"I'm trying!" I scream. "I'm trying, I'm trying, I'm trying!"

Something inside me snapped. Suddenly, it didn't seem so crazy that I was screaming at a portrait of my very much_ dead_ father.

The last time I felt like this, it was when my parents had just died.

News travels slowly; it moves like slime. The body gets found; and they drowned at sea so that took about a week or so. Then, the shocked fishermen then alert some sort of authorities, who then have a lucky run in with a citizen who recognize the bodies. After that, the authorities then dispatch messengers to Arendelle, which could very well take two to three weeks.

The thing about life is that it's so fragile. Any breath could very well be your last. Any action can lead you straight to the doors of death. But death is inevitable; we all die. Earlier or later, it doesn't matter; we all end up in the same place.

Before Mom and Dad's death, I was reading.

After Mom and Dad's death, I was still reading.

But it hadn't occurred to me while reading The Illiad, as I passed from one word to another, my parents had just _died_.

And yet, even after something that clearly involved me had just happened, I continued reading because I had no idea what had just transpired.

And when the news did come to me, something inside me broke.

And then, there was Anna. She came to my room; after the funeral.

"_Elsa?" She asked, knocking on my door. Three simple knocks; unlike the one she used to use as a kid._

_A knock I never acknowledged._

"_Please, I know you're in there," She whispers softly. "People are asking where you've been."_

_I'm in here Anna. I'll always be here._

"_They say 'have courage', and I'm trying to," She continues. "I'm right out here for you; just let me in!"_

_And, I'm shameful to admit that at that moment, I considered letting her in and putting her in danger. Again._

"_We only have each other," She said softly, leaning against. "Just you and me."_

_Like old times, my dear sister._

"_What are we going to do?"_

_And just like that, she said it again._

"_Do you want to build a snowman?"_

_It was the last time I ever heard her say that._

I loved my parents.

But recently, I have had to ask myself a question.

_Did they love me?_

They loved Anna. I could tell from the way they looked at her, and the way they would hug her. They would view her as a human being, with feelings and emotions, while they would look at me like a broken toy that needs to be fixed.

My dad in this painting; he looks regal, confident, and proud. He knows what he's doing; he knows what he's going to do, and he knows what is going to happen.

That's how it goes with my dad. _He knows_.

Did he know about me, though? When he was going to have his first daughter; his heir, did he know that I was going to have ice powers?

Did he know that I was going to be a disappointment?

Did he know that I was going to be a burden?

Did he know that I was going to be a failure?

I shake the thoughts aside. Of course my parents loved me. Everything they had ever done for me, was for my own perfection, and I have everything to thank them for it.

Everything except for Anna, that is.

oOoOo

I have recently taken to trying to guess what Frederic meant by my sister's "birth condition". So far, I have come up with asthma, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and anorexia nervosa.

Oh, and amathophobia. See, the thing is, she wore those gloves _all the time_, so I figured, she must have a thing about dust. It probably comes from her obsessive compulsive disorder, and a desire to be clean, or something.

What I can't figure out, though, is why she would never _tell _me about her medical afflictions. What about mom and dad? Did they know? In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if a single person in the castle save Frederic knew exactly what Elsa has.

"How is Queen Elsa?" Albert had asked.

"Normal," I replied after some thought. "Things are just the way they were."

The truth is, I need someone to talk to. I need someone whom I can lean on, someone who can advise what to do with my sister, someone I can talk to and cry with. Someone who will be there for me, even when my own sister isn't there for me.

So, with a determined mind, I picked up my pen, and wrote:

_Dear Prince Hans,_

_I will be happy to accept your offer to vacation at the Southern Isles for two weeks. Elsa and I have talked it over, and we would love to come and have a great time._

_See you soon,_

_Princess Anna of Arendelle_

After all, white lies are harmless, right?

**A recent review from sakurazaki90 has lead me to want to clarify something: Elsa's current medical situation.**

**Elsa is alive, and very much so, but is suffering from a special type of heart disease (her heart is frozen) and needs a heart transplant. While this is also a very key part of the story, this is also used as a metaphor for something that is very common in real life; people who live and function as human beings, but have very little heart at all. **

**Another thing: Anna's attitude towards Elsa.**

**Don't misinterpret: in this story, Anna still loves Elsa. However, this fanfiction is taking a much more realistic approach to the whole matter. Anna is in love with the idea of Elsa. The idea of a sister who looks like Elsa who will be there for her when Anna needs her. But, the real Elsa is far from that image, and a big part of Anna in this story is growing up and finding the differences and harmonies of reality and imagination.**

**Please review, favorite, and follow!**


	5. Record Lies

**Too Much of a Good Thing**

When I was maybe four years old, I used to dream of riding away on a white stallion into the sunset, only to find a beautiful and gigantic castle made out of lollipops that would have rainbows sprouting from the towers.

After I grew a bit older and decided that a lollipop castle would be very inconvenient, messy, and also aesthetically unpleasing, I decided to entertain myself with thoughts of Elsa and I having fun and being best friends.

The dining scene was where most of my daydreams took place; after all, it was the only time of the day Elsa and I were in the same room for a reason. Even then, in reality, we hardly ever exchanged words. I woke up far too late to see her at breakfast, and due to my late breakfast, I have a late lunch so I never saw her then. My parents, however, saw dinner as a great time for a family to convene, so there it was.

I haven't thought about these silly daydreams in years, _of course_, but today, I found myself planning out exactly how this dinner was going to work out, because today, I found myself wanting something.

Something _really _badly.

I want to go to the Southern Isles and see Hans.

I even planned out the script and everything. Every response expected from Elsa had been calculated and taken into consideration, which will then be followed by an appropriate response from me. I also braced myself mentally for Elsa's anger when she finds out that I had already RSVP'd Hans's invitation.

But that's not all I have done.

Secretly, I have also been looking into the palace records.

This birth condition that Frederic mentioned has been grinding on my nerves. Amathophobia, on second thought, seems like a silly thing to be ashamed of. If Elsa had amathophobia, the staff would know at least.

But they didn't.

Something about Elsa just didn't match up, starting with her hair. I've looked back on centuries of royalty in Arendelle, and not one had the glowing platinum hair Elsa seems to be able to pull off so nicely. I even looked on my mother's side of the family, and while there was a strawberry blond cousin, nobody had Elsa's hair color.

Elsa seems to be always surrounded by cold. Her room is like a freezer, even with the curtains drawn and the windows open. I questioned Gerda and she says that the fireplace has never been used in her room; not even during the famous blizzard that happened when I was 11. I've seen my mother and father go into her room before; they had look concerned, loving, and apprehensive, clutching their cloaks and shutting the door quickly behind them, and yet, a blast of frosty air still greets me every time the door opens and closes. If this frozen air thing was something that was just a fluke, I am sure Mom and Dad would have put a stop to it a long time ago.

The last point leads to another question. Why on _Earth_ would they be concerned, or apprehensive? The love, I understand, but a simple fear of dust would not instill apprehension or concern in a parent who does not wish for their daughter to become a farmer or a builder.

Another thing seems to be worthy of notice. A large amount of staff was fired on November the 15th.

That was also the first day of Elsa shutting me out.

All of this has been swirling in my head for the past week, and even though I wish this was not true, I have to find out.

Is Elsa even my sister?

I hate myself for even doubting my parents, or Elsa, but this conclusion basically answers every single question I have ever had for the Universe.

Why did Elsa shut me out?

_I'm not her real sister. _

Why does she have hair that nobody in the family ever had?

_She's not from this family._

Why was the staff lowered?

_My parents probably wanted to keep a closer watch on Elsa._

Why is her room always so cold?

I haven't come up with a satisfactory answer to this one yet. I briefly thought about my parents wanting to teach her a lesson and all that garbage about family unity and her being an outsider, but I quickly brushed that off. My parents would _never_ do that.

Plus, this is also, technically, a birth condition; a condition of one's birth, and this condition is that Elsa is not part of this family.

All of this put together is why I am currently up at two fifty-six in the morning with a candle, in the library, reading the palace logs.

But even then, nothing in this whole situation makes sense. All the palace logs check out. There were no late-night visitors from cloaked men, and there was no indication of a baby ever being brought in to the castle, to be raised as the Queen, no less. Even if this whole thing was true, how does Frederic know?

I perused the last page of the records carefully, and something isn't working here.

Frederic last entered the castle precisely a week ago, but he hasn't yet left it.

OOoOo

_Prince Hans,_

_Thank you for extending this kind offer. My sister and I would love to join you for a lovely vacation at the Southern Isles. I am sure this visit will be the most relaxing and recreational._

_I hope, once we are there, we will discuss in more detail your relationship with Anna._

_Once again, thank you for the invitation,_

_Queen Elsa of Arendelle_

I read over the letter once again, staring at it doubtfully.

"Are you sure taking a vacation will help?" I ask, glancing up at Frederic.

"It will make all the difference in the world," He answered, grinning. "Honestly, I imagine it will be fun! The Southern Isles are known for their impeccable taste in food and wine, as well as their fantastic and over the top parties."

"Over the top parties are a waste of time," I deadpanned.

"At le-"

"Elsa!" It was Anna.

OOoOo

I cannot believe it.

I just cannot believe it.

Frederic.

The jerkish doctor.

Elsa.

The mysterious sister.

Room.

Together.

"Oh my…you and him, him and you, what is going on here?" I accuse loudly, looking back between their red faces. Elsa's blush, especially, stood out from her pale skin.

"Anna," Elsa spluttered, standing up awkwardly, "Haven't you ever heard of knocking?"

Hah. That's a good one. I just write that down in my joke book somewhere.

"Elsa, you never open the door when I knock so I just dismiss the tradition as habitual brainwashing," I answer.

Okay, good, that shut her up for a bit. I turn to Frederic.

"So, is this why you haven't left the castle _in a week_? You know, you may be this creepy egotistic mad scientist but you need a place to stay too, and there is no way in h-"

"I asked him to stay," Elsa blurted out.

My world just exploded.

My least favorite Doctor and my only sister…together?

I refuse to believe it.

"This has to do with medicine," I say, looking around the room- Elsa was sitting at her desk, and Frederic was standing, holding a glass of some sort of red liquid. "Someone please tell me this has to do with medicine."

Frederic shrugged. "It's not medicine, per se, but treatment of some sort, nonetheless." His face curled into a mischievous grin

"You were talking about over the top parties!" I accuse, pointing a finger at his face.

"Well then, why did you ask the question in the first place if you knew the answer?" He shot back, stepping forward.

"Well excuse me for trying to come up of a reason for me finding you in my sister's bedroom!" I yell, shooting a glare at him.

"Anna, this is all just a misun-"

"Oh, how nice of you Elsa, to finally show how much you care about me. You know, I have only been in your room once, and you were asleep for more than three quarters of the time!" I scream, moving my finger from Frederic's face to hers.

"Anna-" Elsa stood up; for what reason, I have no idea. It makes _no_ difference to me whether or not she's standing up or not, because for all I know and care, it's not making any difference.

"I'm your sister!" I yell, for the final time. In that short, electrifying moment, my head suddenly went out of the window, and my heart took over.

"Oh, but guess what, that might not even be true anymore!" I add, screaming at her.

If I had any doubt that my conclusion was wrong, or not true, they all disappeared. The look on her face was just enough. She was shocked at me for finding out, fearful for her life now that I do know, and confused as to how I discovered her and my parent's little secret.

"So, let me ask a question," I say as I pace around the room. My thoughts have never been clearer, and every nerve on my body feels numb. "How hard was it to just _tell me?_" I ask quietly. "Oh Anna," I imitate, "I'm not your biological sister so I can't hang out with you anymore, but hey, let's be secret pen pals; that okay?"

"Anna, what in the world are you talking about?" Elsa yells, striding over. "I am your sister, and don't you dare say anything that may contradict that. How did you even come to the conclusion that we're not related? Who fed you this nonsense?"

"You know," I say as I walk over to the door, "For strangers, we spend an awful lot of time living in the same place."

I open the door and walk out, before sticking my head in again. "I'll be leaving for the Southern Isles in the morning. I've had Gerda pack my furniture. See you at dinner."

OOoOo

As soon as Anna left, I turned on to Frederic. Everything didn't seem to make sense. Truth be told, Anna's entire outburst just had one reaction from me: "What?"

"What was that about?" I asked, outraged, fingering the edges of my desk for a pen. "I swear, I didn't understand a single thing that she just said."

Frederic shrugged. "It's probably just an eighteen year old thing, you know. She probably went out and smelled a flower that reminded her of a cookie that she and you used to eat."

I shot a withering look at him. "That's a twelve year old thing, not an eighteen year old thing. Besides, she was going around saying I'm not her sister!" I got up and paced around, fingering the loose blond hair that hung around my face.

"Y-"

"Of course I'm her sister! I know we're not the closest of siblings but I am _her sister_! We've grown up together our whole life! You know, I saw her moments after she was born and I remember I said she looked like a baby puppy!" I ranted on. My hands flew up to my head. "And how on Earth did she know you weren't leaving the castle anyway? She hasn't left the libr-" I stop.

That's it. She's been in the library this entire week.

How did she find out Frederic wasn't leaving? She was looking at the palace records.

"Why is she looking at the palace records?" I ask out loud, and looking in the mirror. My hair was disheveled, and my face was flushed from Anna's shouting match. Most people would look in that mirror and see a young woman who probably had a little too much to drink.

I see the real me.

This is the _real_ Elsa, queen of Arendelle. A cowardly mess of a human being that doesn't even know how to say three nice words strung together to form a sentence to her only sister.

As much as I hate it, Elsa is right. Frederic is probably closer to me than Anna, but that's only because he knows my secret, and I will stop at nothing to make sure he doesn't divulge it to a single soul.

"She suspects something," I muse, turning around to look at the Doctor. "She's getting suspicious. She's going to find out about my powers. I need to protect her." I start pacing again. "She's going to the Southern Isles."

"Yes, about that, Queen Elsa, she did say she was packing her furniture, so she probably-"

"-Is leaving. Yes. I understand that. That's perfect. She'll be safe from me her whole life," I finished thoughtfully. "She'll live happily ever after without ever having to see her freak of a sister _ever again_. Now, leave, Frederic, I have some affairs to catch up on."

"As you wish."

OOoOo

After Frederic left, I poured myself a glass of water and sat down, and thought.

Even though I ought to trust Frederic, after all, there is no secret bigger than the one he manipulated me into telling him, but I needed some time alone to sort out everything that had just happened.

The first point; Anna believes that I'm seeing Frederic. That notion must be dispelled of as soon as possible. I'm not sure what little hate thing seems to be going on between her and the Doctor, but it isn't helping this situation at all.

I also feel a bit disappointed, though, to believe that Anna would think so lowly of me as to have a relationship with a man of lower class than myself. That is not proper behavior expected of a Queen, and I am personally shocked with her.

The biggest shock is, though, the fact that Anna has been looking at the palace records.

The palace records are only available to members of the immediate royal family, and if permission was given, court advisors and occasionally, members of the staff. Getting her hands on them would have been as easy as eating a whole slice of Gerda's lemon pie.

But this is _Anna_ we're talking about. She's had no interest in political affairs or the going on's of this castle _ever_. She's never cared about ruling a country or signing peace treaties. In fact, when my parent's first told her about the palace records, she just ran off to go find some chocolate in the kitchen.

As far as I'm concerned, there is only one reason why Anna would look at the palace records.

She thinks I'm adopted.

Which is completely absurd, I reassured myself as I slowly walked out the door to dinner.

OOoOo

Princess Anna has got to be one of the most idiotic people to ever walk this Earth.

Not only does she make hasty assumptions, but she also sticks her nose into other's people business.

When she assumed that I was courting Elsa, (heaven forbid _that_ idea), it took nearly all my self-restraint to resist flinging myself off of a high tower in total exasperation.

For now, however, I don't see Anna as a potential threat for my plan. A simple plan, really. I'm quite a famous Doctor. After all, only the most talented of medical men are chosen as Doctors for the royal house of Arendelle. I have a large network of scientists and like-minded men who are interested in the benefits of discovery and advancements in the scientific world.

Ever since I was a little boy, I wanted to be something in this world. The first time I read a book, I thought, "It must be nice to leave something particular to you. It will be like you will live forever."

I, however, didn't want to write a mere book. Books don't change lives. Books don't alter the course of humanity.

Innovations and discoveries do.

I entertained myself with daydreams of becoming a world famous scientist or a meticulous Doctor who would find miraculous cures to some of the world's deadliest diseases.

As I grew older, however, I soon discovered that changing such a large course of fate required an opportunity, and I didn't have one of those.

Sure, I was one of the greatest Doctors. Kings and Dukes called on me to look at their sick child, but there have been countless other Doctors who did that.

I want to be special.

I want to be known.

So, enter Arendelle. Two years ago, I was just separated from my son, my daughter, and my deceased wife in favor of a life dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. I set up my own hospital, and for several months, flourished.

My fame spread, and one day, a visit from a messenger that came bearing the seal of the kingdom of Arendelle changed my life forever.

No, it wasn't the job that changed my life.

It was my meeting with Queen Elsa.

This is the opportunity I have been waiting for my entire life. This is the anomaly that is simply begging to be analyzed. Queen Elsa is my key to success, and I somehow manage to understand her, I will be the most important Doctor in the world.

I won't simply be _a_ Doctor anymore. I will be _the_ Doctor- the Doctor that will figure out the secrets to the human heart. I will be _the_ Doctor that will introduce a whole other world of science; one controlled by the body.

I need to analyze Queen Elsa's heart.

To do so, Anna cannot be allowed to donate her heart to her sister.

OOoOo

"Anna?" I ask, knocking on the door of her room. "It's me, Frederic."

I heard some fumbling around the room, a loud _splat_, and some slamming of doors before the large block of wood in front of me finally opened. "What do you want?" Anna scowled, putting her hand on her hip.

"I need to clarify some things with you," I answer nonchalantly, walking into the room and shutting the door behind me, much to the anger of my rather angry companion next to me. I turned around on my heel, and crossed my arms. "Elsa and I are _not_ seeing each other."

"You were in her room!"

"I'm a Doctor for heaven's sakes!" I retorted, exasperated.

"You're not leaving the palace!"

"She gets head pains in the middle of the night!" I lied.

"You were talking about parties!"

"Elsa was discussing with me the benefits of going to the Southern Isles with you," I answered honestly.

Anna blinked.

OOoOo

Elsa wanted to go to the Southern Isles with me?

She wanted to go stay with Prince Hans, _with me?_

But she hates Prince Hans! And the Southern Isles! And I'm sure she hates parties!

"Oh," I say finally. Tears sprung to my eyes and clouded my vision. The room spun around and quickly came into focus again once I hastily wiped away my tears. "Is…is she still coming?"

"I have no idea," He replied, putting his hand on the door knob. "I just thought you should know," He said, and he left.

OOoOo

"I'm not going to the Southern Isles anymore," I announced as Frederic walked into my room. "Anna and I aren't exactly on speaking terms."

"Queen Elsa you are dying," Frederic announced as he sat down on the armchair by the French windows.

There comes a time in life where you can actually see into the future. It's a small glimpse, but for a sudden moment, everything flashes before you and you have no idea what to make of it because all the images went by so fast.

When someone says that your life is ending, one tends to have a moment like this.

I looked around the room slowly. I looked at the large painting of my father on his coronation day. Did he know that he was going to die some nineteen years after that? I looked at the miniature bust of my mother that was atop a bookshelf. When she posed for that, did she know that she was going to drown at sea?

They say "fear death", but I don't see what there is to be afraid of.

Perhaps, Mom and Dad, I am a broken toy.

But I don't want to be fixed.

"How long left?" I ask, standing up.

"A month at most," Frederic replies. "But, your majesty, I have several things to tell you, so sit tight."

I nod.

"I have already discussed this with Princess Anna, and there is a way to save you," He starts, looking at me straight in the eye.

"Oh?" I ask, tilting my head. "What's that?"

"A heart transplant could be in store for you, and of course, for lowest mortality rates, the donor would have to be from the family. In your case, Anna," Frederic answered, standing up. "The problem is with your own heart. It's almost completely frozen; literally. The blood is having a hard time pumping and soon it will become ice. And when it does, you will die along with it."

I opened my mouth, but Frederic held up his hand, as if to stop me from talking. "Of course, I haven't yet received a yes or a no from your sister so far, and the situation is getting critical, so I have another proposition for you." He sat down again. "I want to be immortal, Elsa. I want to live forever," He admitted, crossing his arms.

I raise my eyebrows. "That's hardly relevant," I remind him.

"I don't want to actually _live_ forever, though. I want my name to be uttered throughout the generations as a man who altered the course of history," He continued.

"That's great," I comment.

"So I have a deal for you, Queen Elsa of Arendelle. You must keep Anna from allowing herself to be a donor, and when you die, I will be allowed to use your heart for research purposes."

Although a normal person might thing this is a horrible thing, I don't actually find it that bad. For once, I can be used for the greater good, instead of being a horrible shame to the human race. My heart, analyzed. Just imagine how great that would be! Humanity would have a whole other aspect of life revealed to them.

"That would be great," I say. "But…since I am dying, I wish to spend the rest of my life with my sister."

Frederic opened his mouth to say something, but closed it. "That's very thoughtful of you, but she is going to the Southern Isles tomorrow morning." He reminded.

"I will go with her," I answer, standing up and stretching. "Lately, my powers have had some trouble executing. I think in my weakened state, I can finally try to fix everything wrong between us."

"That would be great."

OOoOo

Dinner was an interesting affair. Separated by platters of food and large bowls of soup, Elsa and I would occasionally shoot awkward glances towards each other, but we would quickly look away when the other would notice the gazes.

"Elsa," I start, fingering the hem of my robe. "I am so, so, so sorry for everything the past few weeks. It's just, that coronation and everything was a really big thing and then there was you passing out and then going out to town with you and I understand why you avoid me, I really do, I mean, I would feel awkward hanging out with someone who isn't my sister either because, you know, I'm kind of antisocial but all that aside, I am so, so sorry for screaming at you, and I am sorry for accusing you and Frederic, well, sort of because I still hate Frederic but I still think you are a great sister- I mean, you are a great friend and I would just like to apologize." I finish, taking a deep breath. "Do you accept my apology?"

"Anna-"

"No! No! I completely understand if you don't. I have acted completely out of the line, and I deserve to be punished. I won't even go to the Southern Isles. That's it. I will never ever leave the castle ever again and I will never talk to anybody ever again and I will spend the rest of my life in my room learning how to sew because honestly I cannot sew even if my life depended on it but I ruin my clothes so often I almost feel embarrassed to ask Gerda to fix them for me and the-"

"Anna, I wanted to go to the Southern Isles with you," Elsa finally interjected.

I shut my mouth.

"Y-you do?" I ask suspiciously. "But…I'm such a horrible person! You know, the other day, I even snuck out of the castle! And then I witnessed a dog ruin a boat, long story, you know, but if you must, the fisherman wasn't there and then the apprentice took his spot and-"

"Anna?" Elsa asked, cutting off my story.

"Yes?" I ask quickly.

"There's a bug in your soup."

**Guest reviewer: Anorexia Nervosa was a crazy thing that Anna just thought of. I guess you could say it was just used to complete the list. Thanks for reviewing!**

**Please review, favorite, and follow. **

**New story arc next chapter, and it focuses more on character development. :D**


	6. The Story of a Girl named Chrysanthemum

**Too Much of a Good Thing**

"Anna, would you like to take a walk with me?" Elsa asked after all the food has been served and eaten. I could see her fingering the sleeves of her dress, and I inwardly felt pleased at her nervousness; it implied that she's actually trying and that means the world to me.

My relationship with Elsa was extremely complex in the past few weeks. I went from love to hate to love in seconds, and it has been horrible, yet strangely informative.

This is what siblings did all the time, and instead of love to hate to love in seconds, they've had years and years to establish their relationships, so by the time they are eighteen and twenty one, they don't have to deal with this.

And suddenly, at that moment, just after I noticed her nervousness, I got angry.

I got really, really angry.

Why on _earth_ did I apologize just earlier? If you trace the timeline back many years, none of this estrangement, confusion, and anger is my fault, nor is it Elsa's.

The blame all falls on my parents.

They're the reason Elsa and I had to figure out how to be _sisters_ by ourselves when we are eighteen and twenty one respectively, for heaven's sake! As for, the estrangement, now that I think about it, there is no way that Elsa, at age 8, would have had a level of maturity as to think that she couldn't be "sisters", or at least, "friends" with me, just because we're not related.. Our unfamiliarity is all the result of our, no, wait, _my_ parents.

It makes me sick, thinking about it. I worshipped my father for my whole life. He was my hero, and I used to tell my mom that when I grew up, I wanted to marry a man like him.

Well, I take that back. The man I'm going to marry is going to be of a completely different from my father. That's a personal promise, and I will never break it.

I clutched the edge of the table. My fingernails dug into the wood, and my fingers grew numb.

There was a scraping of floors, and Elsa walked over to me and poked my shoulder. "Are you okay? You're shaking." She leaned in and pulled me up. "Come on, let's go."

"Why are you so nice to me?" I ask, turning around to face her with an accusing glare. "I have been _nothing_ but horrible to you these weeks, and I know apologized, but why on _earth_ would you accept that apology? Do you know-"

"I know I'm dying, Anna," Elsa interrupts calmly, and grabs my hand. "So, garden?"

_Frederic you rat._

"I heard that there are some beautiful flowers at this time of the year. I don't often go outside, so maybe you could show me around," Elsa continued as she led me along the hallway to the Entrance Hall.

"Elsa, you know, I was meaning to tell you," I start, racking my head for excuses. "I don't want you to think that I was betraying you; I wasn't. I just didn't know how to tell it to you. I swear, I didn't want to shock you or anything, but really, I was going to tell you as soon as possible. I mean, before you…I just wanted you to be happy, and I felt that this wouldn't really help that."

"I am happy," Elsa objected. "In fact, this is probably the happiest I've ever been in a long time. Tomorrow, I'm going to the Southern Isles with my sister-"

She drew a deep breath, and looked like she was going to continue, but closed her mouth before any sound came out. I tried to ignore it, although, I admit, I was a bit curious as to hear what she had to say.

Elsa took her news surprisingly well, and my respect for her rose several stories at that moment, and I couldn't help but think how she handled it like a true Queen.

I probably would have cried, and stayed in my bed for the rest of my life if I found out I was dying, because that's the sort of weak-willed coward I am.

"Anna, I know you're angry at me right now, but I promise you, I will spend the rest of my life with you," Elsa smiled. It was a warm smile. The sort that actually needed you to be genuinely happy inside; it was the sort of smile that you couldn't fake.

"HOW ARE YOU NOT MAD AT ME?!" I scream, stopping behind her. I can't take it anymore. My sense of justice is overriding all happy thoughts I have right now about being close with Elsa.

Elsa's eyes widened. "Anna, I-"

"I have done _nothing_ for you my entire life!" I yell, quickly walking towards the painting of my parents.

"They made you be holed up in your room just so we couldn't get too close!" I yell, pointing at their painting, before gesturing back and forth between me and Elsa.

"Anna-"

"Just last week, I screamed at you for not burying parents that weren't even yours!" I continue, now gesturing all over the room. It didn't matter where I pointed to; every part of this house was related to the relationship between me, Elsa, and my thankfully deceased parents.

"Please, Anna-"

"And then, earlier today, I accused you of having a relationship with the royal _doctor!_" The words just flowed out of me. My face was flushed, and I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins, which then served to remind me that Elsa was _dying_.

I've thought about Elsa dying before, but that was before I found out that she was not to blame for every single screw up in my life. Now that I just reminded myself of her current condition, I couldn't help it. Tears leaked out of my eyes and ran down my face. My entire body racked with sobs, and I collapsed to the floor, clutching it as if it were a lifeline. The coolness of the marble did nothing to calm me down. In fact, it just served to remind me how cruel and cold the irony of my life was.

"I didn't even tell you that you were dying," I whispered quietly as a tear fell of my face and hit the ground.

I believed in God.

I believed that there is something up there, forever watching down on me, and my family. I used to look up at the sky sometimes, and just say "_thank you"._

Now, however, I know that such a thing can't exist. Too many lives are imperfect; too many hardships are endured, and too many people die; and for what? We don't gain anything from our sufferings, and nobody who died ever told us what it was like on the other side.

Now, as I lie on the cold, hard ground, I entertained myself with one thought.

If a supernatural deity did exist, and the people that entered the afterlife were reincarnated, if all that was true, in my next life, I would like to be Elsa's sister.

oO0Oo

If there was some way to transfer pain from one person to another, I would have done it immediately. Anna was torturing herself; berating and criticizing herself for being who she is (a marvelous person), and the worst part is, I have no idea what to do.

This is who I am. I recognize problems, but I can't do anything about them. Words don't come to me easily, and while I'm good with small talk, I can't say anything of substance; especially anything that can comfort someone I actually care about.

My relationship with Anna has always been complicated, but it has become even more so in these past few weeks; ever since the coronation, which only served my inability to comfort her shaking figure on the ground. Before then, she was the physical embodiment of everything wrong with me, and even though I would desperately want to get to know her while I was hiding away in my room, I didn't actually have any real emotional connection to her. She was just a symbolic figure; a stranger who represented my sister, and nothing else. I never had a real sister.

But that's all changed. I've spent my whole life dreading spending the rest of my years to live, hiding and concealing every single aspect of me that separated me, Queen Elsa of Arendelle, from other people on this planet. Now, however, I see a window of opportunity. My powers are weakening, and I can spend one blissful month of my life without worrying.

I carefully contemplated what to do with Anna. Part of me wants to go right up to her and hug her, while the cowardly side of me urged me to get away from her right now while I can.

I pull her up, and awkwardly twist a strand of my own hair. My mouth started to move by itself, wanting to say "because I love you", but I stopped myself in time, and awkwardly cleared my throat. "You'll catch a cold if you stay there any longer," I said lamely, cracking a small smile.

Anna sniffled, and used her fingers to brush back her hair that had somehow managed, in this short period of time, to be splayed all over her face. She looked ridiculous and adorable at the same time. "Yeah, silly me," she grumbled, smoothing out the ruffles in her forest-green dress. "But, really, Elsa, please, I am so, so, so, sorry for everything I have ever did, and…I would just like you to know that I really want to take a shot at this "trying to be a sister" thing…" Anna's voice trailed off as she glanced back at the painting of Mom and Dad, and I swear I could have almost seen a bitter look flit across her face before her eyes focused back on me. I thought the whole thing had blown over, but apparently, Anna still seemed, or at least, she acted like she didn't believe we were related. I'm partly hurt, because that implied that Anna held blood over bond (not that we had any bond), and I'm also partly proud, because Anna is finally starting to grow up. Finding your identity, figuring out who you are and where your place in the world lies is a complicated and most often, depressing time in life.

"Anna, I am almost positive we are related," I reassured, looking at her in the eye.

She sniffled. "Elsa, I've traced our entire family lineage, and no offense, nobody has platinum blond hair."

Wow, she's done her research, and I can't help but feel proud of my little sister _whom I am sure I am related to._ I considered telling Anna about my secret, but decide against it. Since they are weakened, I see no reason in ever telling her about my secret. Not only will it complicate things, but my powers have become something I'm used to keeping to myself; it's the part of me that makes me unique, and suddenly making that information public will not only spread vicious rumors and become the subject of much gossip, but it will also make me personally uncomfortable.

"There is such a thing as genetic mutation, Anna," I remind, desperate for Anna to know that _we are _sisters without me telling her of my powers.

Anna cracked a small smile. "So you really are my sister? You're positive?" She asked.

"Positive," I reply.

"What, do you also have some sort of crazy fire power that can kill millions of people?" She joked.

I throat clamped shut, and I nodded slowly, forcing a small smile on my face to tell her that I recognized that it was a joke. We walked in silence for a little bit, and when we entered the garden, the sun was just starting to set. Within fifteen minutes, the sky would be gorgeous displays of oranges, reds, yellows, blues, pinks, and purples, all criss-crossing the horizon.

"Oh, look," Anna called my attention away from her previous remark about mutants as she crouched down and gently touched a small, plain flower that grew along the soft green grass. It was yellow. Not the sickening kind, mind you, but the sort of yellow that seemed to be the color of happiness, and joy. Her eyes looked at in wonder, and I also crouched down to scrutinize it, although nothing came to me in terms of its beauty or value. A small summer breeze ruffled its petals and our hair, giving a refreshing jolt to the otherwise still evening.

"That's a daisy," I point out to Anna, who was still marveling its plainness. She looked at it from all angles, shuffling around to look at it with no less of a fascinated expression than she had sported at the previous angle. "There are millions of those in the castle gardens alone," I add, not quite comprehending what made Anna look at the flower so.

Anna looked up to me thoughtfully, as if she was trying to figure out the right way to say exactly what she had in mind. After a few seconds, her head dropped back to her previous position and she opened her mouth.

"There are millions of people living on the same planet we do, maybe even billions. They all drink the same water that we do, they all breath the same air that we do, and they love and care for one another the same way that we do."

She stopped, and looked up at me. "But just because there are millions of us, all the same at heart, does that mean that one individual is so different? Because of our mass, does that make any one person any less special?"

I opened my mouth to say something, but I had nothing to say. I was ashamed of myself to say the least.

"I don't know where we come from; not the body, the soul I mean. The part of me that makes me _Anna_, I don't know if it was conceived along with the body or came down from the sky or something, but somehow, my soul went to this body, and maybe the soul next to me went to a peasant. I could have easily been a peasant, and a peasant could have easily been me," She continued, fingering the white strands of hair that stood out so vividly from her orange hair.

"Except, it wouldn't be you, would it? It would be a different soul," I pointed out, having nothing better to say.

Anna grinned. "Mom and Dad told me this, but I never really thought about it before now. I mean, that flower may be plain, but I think it's a great gift just to be alive, no?"

Even though I'm ashamed to admit, it did make a lot more sense for this little speech to be from Mom and Dad, and not Anna. That speech from Anna, although this seems silly, almost seemed like Mom and Dad were trying to tell me something from the Heavens or six feet under, or wherever they are right now. Tears threatened to leak out of their ducts, and I hastily wiped them away. I wasn't going to cry in front of Anna about my dead parents. Not now.

Thankfully, Anna didn't seem to notice. She meandered along the small garden path, occasionally pausing to look at other flowers that caught her eye. She stopped in front of a large chrysanthemum, and turned around to beckon me forward. I caught up with her, and she pointed at it. "Mom and Dad used to take me with them for walks in the garden a lot. They had a story for almost every flower," She said with a hint of nostalgia.

"What's the story of the Chrysanthemum?" I ask curiously.

Anna thought for a minute, and said:

"There once was a girl named Chrysanthemum, and when she was great at making tea. One day, in nursery, she made tea for everyone. But, being nervous, when she was carrying the pot over to the table, she accidentally spilled hot tea over one little boy."

Anna grimaced, and continued. "The boy lost all his hair, and nearly died that day. However, it is said that the boy was very much in love with Chrysanthemum and even though she nearly killed me, he still loved her."

Anna drew a breath and continued:

"Chrysanthemum, however, guilt-ridden and ashamed of herself, began to avoid the boy. For nearly 15 years they did not speak, as she had requested to be homeschooled. Every day, however, when the boy was walking home, he would walk by her house and see her making tea, and he would wish that he could one day, drink that tea."

"One day, however, the boy walked by and didn't see Chrysanthemum making tea. Curious, he knocked on the front door, and was greeted by two sobbing parents. Chrysanthemum had died."

"The boy then asked if he could help bury Chrysanthemum in a meadow beautiful meadow atop of a hill. The parents agreed, and together, they buried her. However, a curious thing happened when she was buried; the hilltop suddenly burst with beautiful golden flowers. The boy called these flowers "Chrysanthemums". He plucked one, brought it home, and promised himself that Chrysanthemum's death would not come to waste, and made delicious tea with that single flower. He went back to the meadow, looked down, and said, 'I love you.'"

Anna's voice cracked. "And then, the wind blew and the boy swears he heard it say, 'I love you too.'"

My eyes were moist, and were threatening to spill tears with a single blink. I stared at Anna, silently thanking the darkening sky so she couldn't see the tear that had just raced down my cheek.

"So, did you like it? It was my favorite flower story. I mean it seems cheesy now that I think about it, with the tea and the meadows…" Her voice trailed off, looking at me expectantly.

My throat was clamped shut, but I shakily opened my mouth and said, "I love it", and I hugged her.

I didn't even have to worry about being cold to touch.

oO0Oo

Today's the day! I raced out of bed, throwing aside my covers and ran down the hallways. I skidded to a halt, remembering that I haven't even changed outside of my pajamas, and raced back to my room at lightning speed, gathering curious and knowing glances from the staff. I chose an azure dress that came down to my knees. It was neither heavily ornamented nor was it frivolous like many other dresses those girls my age would wear- perfect for a first day at the Southern Isles, which, judging by its name would seem like it would be quite warm in comparison to Arendelle.

My belongings have already been packed the night previous, before bed, and have already been loaded on the ship. My mind raced with dozens of things as I took one long, satisfying glance around the room, taking in the feeling of home, before dashing out the door again, only to bump into Gerda.

"Oh! Princess! I'm so sorry!" She gasped, dusting imaginary dust off of my dress.

I laugh. "No, no, Gerda, it's my fault! I ran into you!" I jump up and smooth out the ruffles in my dress. "I'm off to the Southern Isles!" I exclaim more to myself, than to her.

Nothing could spoil today. It is _the_ perfect day. Even the sun seemed to shine brighter, and the ponds in the gardens sparkled in sync with the anticipation that was bubbling within me.

Humming a cheery song, I descended the stairs, greeting everybody that I saw, including the grumpy old servant who has always hated me, ever since I was little. Although I'm not sure, I think the exasperation and hatred started when I remarked that he bore a fascinating resemblance to Frankenstein's monster. He grunted when he saw me switch from running down the stairs to sliding down the banisters, probably muttering the words "hooligan" and "hyper" under his breath.

I skipped all the way to the dining hall and completely ignored the lavish breakfast laid there, and took five pieces of toast and stuffing them all at the same time in my mouth.

"Anna!"

It was Elsa. I turn around, all the slices of toast still in my mouth. "Uhsa!" I try to say, my voice muffled. I take a large bite and take the slices of toast out. I wait for her to offer some sort of reprimand for my unladylike behavior, and indeed, it looked like she was on the verge of saying something but instead, she just smiled a large smile and took several pieces of toast herself.

We ate and talked our way to the gates, which Elsa had told me yesterday would be permanently opened starting from today.

I trilled about the trip constantly to anybody who would listen.

"Max! I'm going to the Southern Isles!" I called out excitedly to the gate boy who helped me so kindly the other day to sneak out.

"I told you, it's _Marx_," He grumbled, although he did tip off his hat later and smile, mouthing "_Have fun!"_

Our walk from the gates to the port was surprisingly short, considering the fact that there were hundreds of people milling about, all busy doing their own business when the Queen and Princess of Arendelle just walked through the streets. As per the required manners of any royalty, Elsa and I spent some time just waving and smiling at the general crowd.

The fjord looked particularly serene and tranquil today. The water rippled, lapping against the ground with easy grace. Arriving right in front of the boat, I can finally see the thrill in exploring and sailing ships. With the mast towering above you, it's easy to imagine yourself riding this boat into the sunset, sailing towards a new life.

I heard Elsa take a deep breath and whisper something like "don't show" beside me. I shoot her an odd glance, but she takes no notice of it. Tentatively, she takes a step forward and walks up the steps to the boat.

I turn around, taking in the full glory of Arendelle in the summertime, and take a step forward on the ship.

Having never been on a boat before, I take a while to adjust to the gently rocking surface of the ground. After a while, it was almost comforting, although it did make me rather tired.

"Having fun?"

Oh no. Not him. Anybody but him. I slowly turn around with a forced smile on my face. "Frederic," I greeted slowly. "What are you doing here?" I ask through clenched teeth. Since yesterday night, I have decided that the "birth condition" Frederic mentioned must have been a ruse just to rile me, but I'm still wary of this man.

"He's my Doctor, Anna," Elsa's voice wanders in from beside me. "He needs to be there in case…something happens."

I try to fight the scowl that is threatening to show on my face, and can't help but feel that my lovely mood has just been dampened by the threat of death.

oO0Oo

_Dear Diary,_

_I have been on this ship for nearly five days now, and after seeing a whale three times, even that lost its thrill. A diary, I had decided, would be the perfect activity from falling into the ocean from boredom. On the second day, we encountered some slightly large waves, and I spent most of the day beside Elsa with Frederic, the former of which was suffering from extreme seasickness. After Frederic prescribed some medicine to battle the "tumultuous feeling in my stomach that resembled the sloshing of water in a drain", according to Elsa, she did slightly recover, but only slightly._

_Thankfully, the next day saw calmer waters, and Elsa bravely ventured out for a short walk on the deck, breathing in the salty air. It was that day we both saw our first whale launch out of the water, its tail then slamming back into the water in a formidable splash._

_Elsa and I spent most of our time together this trip, talking and discussing our childhoods. It seemed that Elsa would still tense up whenever I mentioned the "door", as I had fondly grown to call it, so I decided that I would not force her to recount the reasoning behind that yet. After all, I trust that she will tell me all in due time._

_Frederic has been less arrogant than usual these past few days. No longer does he shoot knowing glances at me, nor do his lips curl whenever I see him skulking around. In fact, the expression he now sports whenever we encounter one another is one of pity and understanding._

_Occasionally, he and Elsa would start talking in hushed voices about something grave, I'm sure, but whenever I would come by, they would awkwardly and hurriedly switch to a new topic, often concerning the agriculture of Arendelle; a dreadfully boring topic._

_At first, when I walked into one of these said conversations, old doubts began to rise, but I quickly dismissed them. I am ready to trust Elsa with telling me of everything that goes on in her life as I would to her. Surely she would tell me whatever it is that she is discussing with Frederic if it's important._

_Anna._

oO0Oo

_Dear Diary,_

_I am going to just have a quick word before we arrive at the Southern Isles. The captain said that land should be in sight within thirty minutes, and I have just come here to update the coming and goings of the past few days._

_Elsa has completely gained control of her life on deck, and seemed to have no problem in navigating her way around the boat. Her complete demeanor has changed. Before, she would still be a little bit shy and timid (although perhaps, that was because of the seasickness), and now, she would be more daring and adventurous, and looked at life like it was an adventure; a game of experience. Whoever felt and saw the most would ultimately win. She seemed to have completely let go of whatever fears or emotions that previous controlled her. _

_Speaking of Elsa, she is now calling me. _

_Got to go,_

_Anna._

oO0Oo

I stare out at the impending horizon, with Anna, both of us just enjoying the serene beauty of the deep blue sky that clashed with the reddish-orange sunset and the dimly sparkling water that rose and descended.

Bird calls echoed in the distance, but they only served to even better depict the image of serenity.

"New land, new beginnings," Anna murmured beside me.

"Of course," I answer, my hands fingering the hard wood of the deck handles.

"We will make these two weeks the best two weeks of our lives," Anna promised, looking at me with a confident grin.

"Yes, we will-"

"Land!" Both of us yell at once, before subsiding into a fit of giggles. We straighten up, and peer once again at the land mass that was gradually growing in size as we drew closer towards it. The sun was positioned at such an angle as to make it bathed in a warm, golden glow, and I could see the first outlines of many ships moored at the docks. Apparently, this was going to be also a busy two weeks.

"I can't believe," Anna breathed as she stared ahead in awe, "that I'm finally going to a kingdom other than Arendelle."

I nod in agreement. "It looks beautiful."

"And the position of the sun is just right!" Anna pointed out, voicing my own earlier thoughts.

Together, we watched as the boat sailed right up to the pier, and anchored itself in the ground.

We have arrived.

Smiling, Anna and I slowly walk down the steps to the ground.

When we first touched it, it still felt like we were on the sea, and the ground was rocking up and down in a constant lull. At that moment, I felt a tad sick, but I did some of the breathing exercises Frederic taught me, and the initial panic flooded away. Anna looked at me with concern, but I told her I was fine.

"Welcome to the Southern Isles!" A tall and lanky man dressed in red announced, gesturing towards the carriages that awaited our arrival on the dock. Anna and I would be going in one carriage and Frederic in one with several of our guards.

"Thank you for the warm welcome," I reply, bowing to the tall man. "We look forward to a great stay."

While I was brimming with excitement inside me, I could tell Anna's anticipation had all built up this moment and was positively bouncing around the dock, scrutinizing everything within her sight. She bounced back after every encounter with a new person on the dock to retell her stories with the locals. Apparently, there was going to be a welcome ball held tonight, according to one stocky blond-haired fellow.

We didn't have much time to spare, and I dragged Anna to the carriages and forced her into the seat. While we waited for everyone else to climb onto their carriages, we both took the time to look around. The diversity of life here was even more noticeable than in Arendelle, as at this time, tourism was common. People of different tongues mingled among each other. All in all, it was a fresh sight.

The carriage ride to the palace was very strategical. The path to the palace was very clear, straight, and all the houses and shops that were featured on this path were probably deliberately chosen to leave a good impression.

Anna and I talked a great deal on the carriage of Hans, and his twelve brothers. Although I remain skeptical of _marriage_, I did grudgingly accept that Anna did seem to love this Hans very much.

"Anna, I don't want you to be so hasty in choosing those you love," I cautioned after Anna spent nearly five minutes talking about how wonderful Hans was, and how they were simply meant to be.

"I am careful, Elsa," Anna replied, rolling her eyes. "You don't need to worry about me."

"Good," I nod, "I just want you that love is a complicated thing, Anna. Not everything about it can be explained."

Anna smiled. "I'll try to keep that in mind."

**Poll: Do you think Hans should be a sympathetic character in this story, or an evil bastard? When I mean sympathetic character, it doesn't mean he's a nice person, it just means I'll go into more character development and he'll gradually become a good person. However, this story is in no way Hans/Elsa OR Hans/Anna. **

**Reviews/Favorites/Follows are nice.**

**By the way, is this chapter length good? This chapter was around 5100 words; 5120 exactly. I was going to make it even longer, but I decided against it. What do you guys think?**

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